55 BPM metronome
Press Play to hear a steady click at 55 BPM, or open one of the drum grooves below at exactly this tempo. One beat lasts 1,091 ms, so 55 beats fill one minute. 55 BPM sits where Largo (broad, very slow, roughly 40–60 BPM) and Lento (slow, roughly 40–60 BPM) meet.
How long is one beat at 55 BPM?
Divide 60,000 by the tempo: 60,000 ÷ 55 = 1,091 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) | 4,364 ms |
| Half note | 2,182 ms |
| Quarter note (1 beat) | 1,091 ms |
| Dotted eighth | 818 ms |
| Eighth note | 545 ms |
| Eighth-note triplet | 364 ms |
| Sixteenth note | 273 ms |
55 BPM in bars and phrases
A bar of 4/4 at 55 BPM lasts 4.36 seconds. Eight bars take 34.9 seconds, and a 32-bar form takes 139.6 seconds. One minute holds 55 beats, or 13.75 bars of 4/4.
How fast are subdivisions at 55 BPM?
Eighth notes at 55 BPM run at 1.83 notes per second, triplets at 2.75 and sixteenth notes at 3.67. 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 55 BPM?
55 BPM sits where Largo (broad, very slow, roughly 40–60 BPM) and Lento (slow, roughly 40–60 BPM) meet. 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, 55 BPM feels like 30 BPM; counted in double time it feels like 110 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 55 BPM
Slow tempos expose timing more than fast ones. With 1,091 ms between clicks it is easy to rush into the next beat, so count the subdivisions in your head or switch on eighth notes, hold long notes for their full length, and use Drop the click to check that you keep the pulse through a silent bar.
Drum grooves near 55 BPM
These built-in grooves have default tempos close to 55 BPM: Funeral Doom Dirge (56), Soul Ballad (12/8 Feel) (60) and Brush Ballad (60). Each link below opens the metronome with that groove at exactly 55 BPM, so you practise the tempo with a real drum part rather than a click.