How to Use a Metronome for Guitar: 3 Beginner Exercises

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Can you play a chord clearly, but lose the rhythm when you switch to the next one? Try using a metronome for guitar practice. Its steady click gives you a beat to follow while you work on strumming, chord changes and picking.

To get started, set your metronome to 60 BPM in 4/4 time, count “1, 2, 3, 4” with the clicks, and play one downstrum per click. If that feels difficult, begin by tapping along without your guitar.

This guide walks through three beginner exercises and a short routine you can try with the metronome in GuitarHub for Android.


What does a metronome do?

A metronome produces evenly spaced clicks at a tempo you choose. Tempo is commonly measured in BPM, or beats per minute. When each click represents one beat, 60 BPM means one click every second; 120 BPM means two clicks every second.

The click helps you hear whether you are rushing, slowing down or pausing between chords. Starting slowly and increasing the tempo as a passage becomes comfortable is also an approach discussed in Fender’s guide to metronome practice.

How to set up a metronome for guitar practice

  1. Tune your guitar. Check your tuning before working on your rhythm.
  2. Open GuitarHub’s metronome. Set a starting tempo of 60 BPM.
  3. Select 4/4 time. For these exercises, use one click per quarter-note beat and count four beats in each bar.
  4. Listen before playing. Count “1, 2, 3, 4” for a few bars, then join in.


Here, 60 BPM is a suggested starting point, not a target everyone must meet. Choose a speed at which you can follow the pulse and make the required movement comfortably. If a chord change is too difficult, simplify the exercise before increasing the speed.

Exercise 1: Keep a steady downstrum

Choose a familiar chord, such as E minor. Hold the chord and play one downstrum on every click.

Count: 1, 2, 3, 4
Strum: down, down, down, down

Repeat for eight bars. Listen for the start of each strum to line up with the click, and keep your strumming movement relaxed. You are practising an even pulse, so there is no need to add chord changes yet.

If you keep losing the beat, lightly mute the strings and practise the same downstrums. This lets you focus on your strumming hand without worrying about fretting a chord. Return to E minor when the pulse feels comfortable.

Exercise 2: Practise guitar chord changes with a metronome

Choose two chords you already know, such as E minor and A minor. If either shape is unfamiliar, check it in GuitarHub’s chord library and practise forming it before starting the click.

  1. Strum E minor once on beat 1.
  2. Count beats 2, 3 and 4 while preparing the next chord.
  3. Strum A minor on beat 1 of the next bar.
  4. Repeat, changing chords once per bar.

This gives you time to move your fingers while the beat continues. Aim to have the next shape ready for beat 1. If you consistently arrive late, slow the tempo or briefly practise that finger movement without the metronome.

Once this feels manageable, strum on beats 1 and 3 of each bar. Later, try a downstrum on all four beats. Each version leaves less preparation time, so build up gradually.

Exercise 3: Add eighth-note strumming

Keep the metronome at the same tempo and return to one familiar chord. This time, count:

“1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and.”

Play a downstrum on each numbered beat and an upstrum on each “and.” The numbers line up with the clicks; each “and” falls halfway between two clicks.

You are now playing two evenly spaced strums per beat. The song’s tempo has not doubled—you have divided each beat into two eighth notes. If the spacing feels uneven, say the count aloud and practise on muted strings first.

A 10-minute guitar metronome routine

  • Minutes 1–2: Tune your guitar, then listen and count along with the click.
  • Minutes 3–4: Practise one downstrum per beat on a single chord.
  • Minutes 5–7: Alternate two chords, starting with one strum per bar.
  • Minutes 8–9: Try eighth-note strumming on one chord.
  • Minute 10: Play the two-chord exercise again and note your comfortable tempo.

Repeat the routine at the same speed until you can play several clean repetitions with steady timing. Then try a small increase, such as 5 BPM. Treat this as an experiment: if the rhythm becomes uneven, return to the previous setting.

How to use Tap Tempo for a song

If you can hear a song’s pulse but do not know its BPM, use Tap Tempo in GuitarHub. Tap steadily along with the beat for several beats to estimate the tempo.

Follow the regular pulse rather than every syllable or guitar note. Your tapping may pick up half or double the intended beat, so listen to the resulting click and check that it matches how you count the music. You can then lower the BPM to practise a difficult section.

Common questions about guitar metronome practice

What BPM should a beginner use?

Try 60 BPM for the simple exercises above, then adjust. There is no single correct beginner tempo: a familiar chord and a new chord change may need different speeds.

Should I use a metronome every time I play?

You can reserve part of your session for focused timing practice and leave time for playing songs, experimenting and enjoying your guitar. Try the same short passage with and without the click to notice where your timing changes.

Does a metronome help with chord changes?

It provides a clear moment for the next chord to arrive. You still need to learn the shapes and finger movements, but the click makes pauses between chords easier to notice.

Start practising with GuitarHub

GuitarHub brings a guitar tuner, metronome with Tap Tempo, and chord library into one Android app. Tune your strings, check the chords you want to practise, then use the exercises above for a short rhythm session.

Download GuitarHub: Tuner & Metronome on Google Play and start with two chords at a comfortable tempo.

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