Bass rhythm trainer

Play each note when the red cursor reaches it. Your timing is measured live, with a microphone or the keyboard.

Settings

Rhythm level Scale / style Time signature Display

Number of bars

Tempo: 80 bpm Tolerance: 90 ms Metronome volume Notes volume

Metronome click Random click gaps Frequency Hear the notes Real bass pitch Check pitch Next level at ≥ 80 %

Audio input: microphone or bass

Audio input Input gain: ×1

Sound level

Sensitivity Input offset: 0 ms

Pluck each note clearly and wear headphones, otherwise the microphone also hears the metronome. To plug in your bass, use a USB audio interface. No microphone? Use the space bar. All the setup tips

History

User guide: how the tool works →

How to use it

Set up the exercise: rhythm level (from half and quarter notes up to sixteenths, triplets and rests), scale or style, time signature (2/4 to 5/4), number of bars and tempo.
Choose the display: notation and tab, notation only to practise reading, or tab only.
Listen to the model if needed, then start: play each note when the red cursor reaches it, on the bass (microphone or audio interface) or by tapping the space bar.
Read the result: each note is marked early, on time or late, with the gap in milliseconds. Above 80% success, the tool can move up a level automatically.
Write your own rhythms in the editor and share them by link with a student or a band.

A practice plan

Week 1: simple levels at 70–80 bpm, wide tolerance (90 ms). The goal is steadiness, not speed.
Week 2: same level, tolerance tightened to 50–60 ms, then raise the tempo by 5 bpm after each successful exercise.
Then: eighth notes and rests, then sixteenths and triplets. Turn on random metronome drop-outs: the click disappears for a few beats and you must hold the pulse alone, as when the drummer stops.
End each session with a notation-only exercise to improve your reading.

Setting up the microphone

Wear headphones: otherwise the mic also hears the metronome and counts ghost notes.
Attack each note clearly and mute the previous one: detection relies on the attack.
Set the mic offset: every setup adds a small delay (often 20–80 ms). Play a few notes right in time and adjust until the average gap is close to zero.
To plug the bass in directly, use a USB audio interface and set the input gain so the level does not clip.

Why practise rhythm on its own?

The bass is first a rhythm instrument: together with the kick drum, it carries the groove. A right note played at the wrong time is more noticeable than a wrong note in the right place. Working on timing alone, with simple notes, frees your attention for the fretting hand later. The full guide covers every option, and the metronome is there for practising your own songs.

Guide written and checked by Erwan Hautot · updated 2 November 2026.