Published by PitchChanger · Updated · How these guides are made
How to use this workflow
Read the tempo marking
Identify whether one BPM pulse means a quarter note, eighth note or dotted quarter.
Count those pulses in the bar
In 6/8 there are six eighths, three quarters or two dotted quarters per bar.
Multiply by the pulse duration
At 90 BPM each named pulse lasts 60/90 seconds. Multiply by the pulse count and then by the number of bars.
The same 6/8 notation can yield different seconds
At quarter = 90, one 6/8 bar contains three tempo pulses and lasts 2 seconds. At dotted-quarter = 90, it contains two tempo pulses and lasts 1.333333 seconds. At eighth = 90, it contains six and lasts 4 seconds.
These are calculated constant-tempo examples. A real performance with rubato, pickups or tempo changes requires separate sections and an audible boundary check.
Swipe or scroll sideways to read all columns.
| Meter and tempo unit | Pulses per bar | 8 bars at 90 BPM |
|---|---|---|
| 4/4, quarter | 4 | 21.333333 s |
| 3/4, quarter | 3 | 16 s |
| 6/8, quarter | 3 | 16 s |
| 6/8, dotted quarter | 2 | 10.666667 s |
Use the click without changing the musical meaning
Set Metronome to the BPM and choose beats per bar to match the pulse you intend to hear. At dotted-quarter = 90 in 6/8, two clicks per bar represent the compound beats; the tool does not read a score or infer the tempo note symbol.
This calculation plans a passage length; it does not prove a BPM detector has selected the correct pulse. Count and listen before trimming a recording to the predicted endpoint.