Keep a steady pulse
On this page
Count four beats per bar and keep their spacing even through the return to one.
What to listen for
Listen for a stretched last beat or a rushed return to one.
Try the practice
Check the setup
- Meter
- 4/4
- Tempo
- 80 BPM · quarter note beats
- Subdivisions
- Main beats
- Swing
- Straight
- Accent sound
- On
- Mode
- Session
- Count-in
- 1 bar
- Duration
- 16 bars
Opens in a new tab. Review the settings, then press Start when ready.
- Listen to the one-bar count-in, then count one, two, three, four.
- Clap once per beat for four bars. Keep saying the numbers through the next four bars.
- Repeat a short four-beat phrase for the remaining eight bars. Keep the return to one the same distance away.
What to check
Repeat four bars without adding a pause before one. Notice the same spacing when the phrase repeats.
When to simplify
Stop and lower BPM if clapping and counting pull apart. Use counting alone before repeating the phrase.
Choose a workable tempo
Choose a pace that keeps the same spacing when the task becomes more demanding.
Try the next practice