208 BPM metronome
Press Play to hear a steady click at 208 BPM, or open one of the drum grooves below at exactly this tempo. One beat lasts 288 ms, so 208 beats fill one minute. 208 BPM falls within Prestissimo (as fast as possible, roughly above 200 BPM).
How long is one beat at 208 BPM?
Divide 60,000 by the tempo: 60,000 ÷ 208 = 288 ms per beat. Every other note value follows from that. Producers often set a delay to the dotted eighth or eighth note to keep echoes in time with the track.
| Note value | Length |
|---|---|
| Whole note (4 beats) | 1,154 ms |
| Half note | 577 ms |
| Quarter note (1 beat) | 288 ms |
| Dotted eighth | 216 ms |
| Eighth note | 144 ms |
| Eighth-note triplet | 96.2 ms |
| Sixteenth note | 72.1 ms |
208 BPM in bars and phrases
A bar of 4/4 at 208 BPM lasts 1.15 seconds. Eight bars take 9.23 seconds, and a 32-bar form takes 36.9 seconds. One minute holds 208 beats, or 52 bars of 4/4.
How fast are subdivisions at 208 BPM?
Eighth notes at 208 BPM run at 6.93 notes per second, triplets at 10.4 and sixteenth notes at 13.87. Switch on the subdivision you are practising so the click marks every note, then return to quarter notes to check that you keep the spacing on your own.
What tempo marking is 208 BPM?
208 BPM falls within Prestissimo (as fast as possible, roughly above 200 BPM). Treat these ranges as conventions rather than rules: editions and metronome makers print slightly different numbers, and an Italian marking describes character as well as speed.
Half time and double time
Counted in half time, 208 BPM feels like 104 BPM; counted in double time it feels like 400 BPM. When you tap along with a recording and get either number, both describe the same music; choose the pulse that gives you sensible bars and accents.
Practising at 208 BPM
At 208 BPM many players count in half time, feeling 104 BPM with the click on every other beat. Try both. If your technique tightens, drop back to a tempo where you stay relaxed and use Build speed to climb in small steps rather than jumping straight to 208.
Drum grooves near 208 BPM
These built-in grooves have default tempos close to 208 BPM: Thrash Skank Beat (200) and Bebop Up-Tempo Ride (220). Each link below opens the metronome with that groove at exactly 208 BPM, so you practise the tempo with a real drum part rather than a click.