Silent Bar Metronome (Gap Click)

20–400 BPM, any time signature, five accent levels, subdivisions, swing, count-in, speed and gap trainers.

A metronome can become a crutch: you follow the click instead of feeling the beat yourself. A gap click fixes that. It plays for a few bars, goes silent for a few, then comes back, and you find out at once whether you were still on time.

The metronome above clicks for 2 bars and stays silent for 2 at 80 BPM. Keep playing through the silence. When the click returns it should land exactly with you. As you improve, make the silent stretch longer, or add random silent beats in Advanced.

Make it harder, step by step

  • 2 bars on, 2 bars off.
  • 2 bars on, 4 bars off.
  • 1 bar on, 4 bars off.
  • Random silent beats at 20%, then 40%.

If you rush or drag in the gaps, slow the tempo down before making the gaps longer.

Rushing or dragging?

If the click comes back after you, you sped up (rushed) in the silence; if it comes back before you, you slowed down (dragged). Most players rush when they are excited and drag on hard passages. Notice which you do, and count the beats out loud through the gaps until you land with the click every time.

Common questions

What is a gap click?

A metronome that drops out for some bars, so you have to keep time on your own and check yourself when it returns.

How long should the silence be?

Start with as many silent bars as clicking ones, and double the silence as your timing gets steadier.

Learn this with a teacher
Live one-to-one guitar classes online, with a free trial.
Find a teacher

More practice set-ups

Timing tools

Metronome · All free tools