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Polyrhythm Metronome

Layer rhythms together and feel polyrhythms in sound and sight

Quick Start

Tap a common ratio to hear it right away.
All layers share one grid — set each layer's N and the accents drift apart, then realign. Learn more →
Rhythms Playing
Stopped
Press Space to play / stop
BPM
Changes the tempo of all rhythms at once
150
Slider range: 30–320 (normal)
Detailed Settings Time signature, sound, accent, full ratio list, and more
Up to 8 layers (each needs its own color)
? How to use
1
Choose a play mode — Switch between "Aligns Every Bar" and "Drifts, Then Aligns Again".
2
Select a rhythm tab — In Mode A, click a tab in Detailed Settings to edit that rhythm's BPM, time signature, subdivision, accent, and sound.
3
Add or remove rhythms — Use "+ Add Rhythm" to create a new rhythm, or "Delete This Rhythm" to remove one.
4
Play all — Pressing "Play All" starts every configured rhythm (or layer) from the same instant. Switching modes while playing stops playback first, then starts the new mode.

Save Preset

Rename Preset

Confirm Deletion

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Share Link

Open this link to share all rhythm settings.

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Guide

Polyrhythm Metronome — Features & How to Use

Play multiple rhythms at once to internalize complex polyrhythmic feels.

What is a Polyrhythm

A technique for playing different time signatures together

A polyrhythm is a technique where rhythms with different cycle lengths are layered and played at the same time. For example, a "4 against 3" polyrhythm — playing a "4-beat" pattern and a "3-beat" pattern over the same span — is widely used in jazz, progressive rock, and contemporary music. Listening closely to multiple rhythms layered accurately together helps you build a more complex sense of rhythm.

Mode B and the Drift-and-Realign Effect

A 16th-note grid, and drift that realigns over several bars

Mode B (the default) treats a shared-BPM 16th-note grid as one bar = 16 steps. Each layer's N sets how many hits fit into one bar, evenly spaced across the 16 steps. That layout rotates a little further every bar, so the hit count per bar never changes, but when N is not a divisor of 16 the layout drifts further from the start of the bar each time, then eventually lines up exactly with the start again. This produces an effect where a pattern slowly shifts across multiple bars before eventually realigning. How many bars that takes depends on N, and each layer's "realigns every N bars" readout shows the exact count. If two layers' N values aren't coprime, a warning is shown, but playback is not blocked.

Practice Tips
Start with 3 against 2
Begin with the most basic "3 against 2" polyrhythm to get a feel for it.
Start slow
Use a slow BPM at first and listen carefully to how the beats overlap.
Practice one hand at a time
It helps to sing one rhythm while tapping the other with a hand or foot.
Use subdivisions
Setting a subdivision on each rhythm lets you practice more complex polyrhythms involving triplets or 16th notes.
Listen for the drift
In Mode B, pick coprime N values and count how many bars pass before the downbeats line up again — it makes the complex cycle easier to grasp.