Beat, tempo and BPM
Feel and count a steady beat, and set a tempo in beats per minute.
Before you worry about which notes to play, you need to know when to play them. Rhythm starts with a steady pulse, and the bass is one of the instruments that keeps it.
The beat
The beat, also called the pulse, is the steady, regular “tap” you feel in music. It is what you tap your foot to. Beats are all the same length, one after another, like the ticks of a clock.
Tempo and BPM
Tempo is how fast the beats go. It is measured in beats per minute, written BPM:
- at 60 BPM each beat lasts exactly one second;
- at 120 BPM each beat lasts half a second.
The higher the number, the faster the music. Pop, rock and jazz charts usually just write a BPM number.
The metronome
A metronome, a small device or an app, clicks at the BPM you choose. Many metronomes accent the first beat of each bar, which you will meet in lesson 2.3. Practising with one is the simplest way to build a steady pulse.
Tempo words
Classical scores often give the tempo with Italian words. The ranges below are approximate: they vary between sources and metronome makers.
| Term | Approx. BPM |
|---|---|
| Largo | 40–60 |
| Adagio | 66–76 |
| Andante | 76–108 |
| Moderato | 108–120 |
| Allegro | 120–168 |
| Presto | 168–200 |
Why it matters for a bassist
The bass and the drums together set the “feel” of a band. Playing exactly with the beat is a core bass skill, which is why rhythm comes this early in the course.
Set a metronome to 60 BPM and play the open E string once on every click for one minute. Then do the same at 90 and at 120.