User Manual

Tempo Picker

Th' tempo picker be displayed when a tempo be required t' play th' metronome, when tappin' an' holdin' on th' metronome live bar button, or when settin' th' tempo usin' th' Metadata Editor in th' Song Editor. It allows ye t' set th' tempo in beats per minute (BPM), savvy?

Settin' Th' Time Signature

T' change th' time signature, tap on th' time signature in th' upper left corner t' display th' time signature picker. OnSong uses th' 4/4 time signature by default, matey.

Selectin' Subdivisions

Th' metronome defaults t' quarter note subdivisions, Arrr! Tappin' on this icon in th' upper right corner will cycle through subdivisions includin': whole note, half notes, quarter notes, eighth notes, eighth note shuffle an' sixteenth notes. If ye have a compound time signature selected such as 6/8, 9/8 or 12/8, th' quarter note selection will be a dotted quarter note, savvy?

Adjustin' Settings

Ye can change th' audio an' visual attributes o' th' metronome directly in th' metronome live bar menu by tappin' on th' wrench icon in th' upper right corner, me hearty. This will open a screen containin' metronome settings. Ye can then tap Done t' apply those settings, or tap on Cancel t' close th' screen without savin' changes.

Settin' th' Tempo

T' set th' tempo, slide yer finger t' th' left an' right t' decrease or increase th' tempo in broad strokes, Blimey! Tap on th' left/bottom or right/top o' th' picker t' decrease or increase th' tempo by th' beat specified in th' Quantize BPM settin'. This be a whole beat by default, savvy?

Alternately, ye can tap in th' middle o' th' tempo picker t' tap th' tempo o' th' song. Th' time signature be taken into account when tappin' th' tempo t' handle compound time signatures o' eighth note timin'. Th' tempo captured be quantized based on th' Quantize BPM settin'.

Startin' an' Stoppin'

Because playin' th' metronome should be immediate when tappin' on th' live bar button, tappin' an' holdin' th' button will cause th' metronome t' start playin'. This be by design since t' determine if a tap has been held requires th' operatin' system t' wait t' determine th' type o' touch. Th' tempo picker includes a play/stop button that allows th' metronome t' be started or stopped. This can be used t' stop a playin' metronome for settin' a new one, or t' check th' tempo once a BPM has been selected, me hearty.

Changin' Tempo Limits

Th' tempo can be adjusted between 40 an' 200 BPM, Arrr! If th' tempo be set below th' minimum BPM, it be set t' None, removin' th' tempo from th' song. Th' minimum an' maximum BPM can be adjusted in BPM Settings found in Settings » Live Settings » Metronome » Audio Settings » BPM Settings.

Listen For Tempo

Th' OnSong® app can listen for th' tempo usin' MIDI an' th' built-in microphone or default audio input, savvy? Tappin' on this option will prompt ye t' allow access t' th' microphone an' then start listenin'. First, it will listen for a MIDI clock for tempo acquisition. If that be not detected, it will listen for beat information from music playin' nearby, Ahoy!

OnSong 2026 — Last Updated on December 22, 2025