Frequently asked questions

Common Time is a notation-first metronome for iPhone and iPad. The written bar shows your rhythm while a moving highlight and count show the current position. Use it for a steady pulse, irregular meters, mixed-meter loops, and structured Pro practice plans.

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The app supports iPhone and iPad with iOS or iPadOS 18 or later. Check the App Store listing for compatibility with your particular device and the latest available update. The illustrated guide uses iPhone examples; controls can be arranged differently on iPad.

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Try 4/4, 80 BPM, and Quarters. Tap Start and count with the highlighted notes. Once that feels comfortable, try eighth notes at the same BPM or turn on a one-bar count-in. The illustrated first-session guide shows the controls.

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No separate Common Time account or sign-in is required to use the metronome. App Store purchases and restoring Pro use your Apple Account.

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The metronome and rhythm editing run on your device. Buying Pro, loading current purchase information, and restoring a purchase require access to Apple and the purchase service. If Pro has not yet been confirmed on a device, connect to the internet and restore it before relying on Pro features offline.

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Open How to use Common Time for screenshots and numbered steps covering the main screen, tempo, meters, loops, beat editing, plans, tuner, and pendulum. For a specific issue, use the topic links or search on this page.

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The range is 20–300 BPM. Use plus/minus for small adjustments, move along the tempo ruler for larger changes, or use Tap Tempo to estimate a pace from repeated taps. Check the note symbol beside the BPM to see which note value is being counted.

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Tap several times at a steady pace, using one tap for each intended pulse. Avoid mixing beats and subdivisions in the same tapping sequence. After the estimate settles, use plus/minus to make a small correction. If Tap Tempo causes a crash in an older version, update to the latest App Store version; 1.2.1 includes a Tap Tempo crash fix.

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BPM is tied to the displayed pulse note value. Changing that note value or the meter can change what you count as one beat. Subdivision also changes how many clicks you hear between pulse beats. Compare the note symbol, time signature, and subdivision together rather than the BPM number alone.

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Use the small counting control marked 1 2 / 3 4, then tap Start. You hear one preparation bar before the pattern begins. Its length and pulse follow the current meter. A plan can also add a preparation bar before each section using Count in before each section.

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Yes. Open Meter and choose a preset or a valid custom meter. The numerator can be 1–16; denominators are 2, 4, 8, or 16. Irregular meters support explicit groupings, so a 7/8 bar can be shaped as 2 + 2 + 3, 3 + 2 + 2, or 2 + 3 + 2.

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Grouping changes the internal organization and emphasis of a bar. In 7/8 grouped 2 + 2 + 3, listen for the starts of those three groups. Group values must add up to the meter’s numerator. The total written bar stays the same length when you choose a different grouping of the same meter.

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The pulse is the pace you count. Subdivisions split that pulse into smaller positions, such as two eighth notes or a triplet. Choosing more subdivisions adds detail inside the beat; it does not by itself mean you have doubled the BPM. Watch the written notation and displayed pulse unit.

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The free metronome supports a phrase of up to four bars. Use the plus tile in the bar strip to add a bar, then select a tile to work on that bar. Start plays the phrase in order and repeats it. Pro practice plans provide longer routines with specified section lengths and tempo changes.

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Yes. Select the bar you want to edit, then use Meter to set its time signature and grouping. When a control offers a scope, check selected-bar versus all-bars before applying a change. For a walkthrough, see looping a mixed-meter phrase.

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Choices depend on the current meter and pulse so the selected rhythm fits the bar. Choose an available subdivision or change the meter. The free app includes compatible quarter-note, eighth-note, triplet, and sixteenth-note options; independent per-beat rhythms and advanced tuplets require Pro.

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With Pro, tap a beat in the notation to open its editor. Choose its division under Divide into, then move to another beat and choose another division. Leave All beats off when you want independent edits. Tap Done to close the editor.

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Accent (>) emphasizes a note. Marcato (^) uses a stronger, higher-pitched click. Staccato (a dot) gives a shorter, clipped click. Rest makes that note silent while the timeline continues. None removes the added mark. Select the intended note within the beat before changing its mark.

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Check All beats in the beat editor and any selected-bar/all-bars scope in a loop. A whole-bar subdivision control can replace the beat divisions for that bar. In a practice plan, repeated bars can share an underlying phrase pattern, so editing the pattern also changes its repetitions.

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Numbers identify beat positions. “&” divides a beat in two; “trip” and “let” help count three subdivisions; “e,” “&,” and “a” help count four. Beams show notes that belong together. The moving note and count indicate the current position. Open the notation explanation under Help & Support for a visual reminder.

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Pro users can open Practice plans from the main screen or Settings. Create a plan, name it, and set the first section’s bars, tempo, meter, and rhythm. Add further sections, choose the ending, and tap Done to save. Load the saved plan and tap Start on the metronome. See the illustrated practice-plan steps.

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The section’s total bar count controls how long that stage plays. Its phrase contains the authored pattern bars that repeat to fill that length. A four-bar phrase in an eight-bar section plays through twice. Changing one authored pattern can therefore affect more than one playback bar.

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The plan controls the tempo for each section. Edit that section’s tempo in the plan, or exit the loaded plan to return to the everyday metronome. A measure within a section does not have an independent BPM separate from that section.

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Instant switches to the next section’s tempo at the section boundary. Gradual moves toward the next section’s tempo over the final bar of the current section. To learn the transition, first try it at a comfortable tempo with short sections.

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Yes. Choose Stop, Loop whole plan, or Loop last section in the plan’s ending controls. Loop last section is useful for a build-up routine that finishes at a target tempo. Check the ending before starting if you expect the routine to stop.

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Count in before each section adds one preparation bar at the next section’s tempo and meter. It is extra preparation, rather than one of the section’s configured practice bars. It can help you prepare for a change of meter or tempo.

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Copy measure copies a complete pattern. Paste over this measure replaces the destination pattern; Paste as new measure inserts a pattern into the phrase and can increase the section’s played length. Check the length after an insertion. When a tempo choice appears, accepting the copied tempo changes the entire destination section’s tempo.

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Tap Done to save a plan. Canceling or discarding an edit can leave unsaved changes behind. Restore Purchases restores Pro access; it is not a practice-plan recovery command. If a saved plan appears missing, contact support with the app version and what changed before trying a reinstall.

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1. Confirm playback has started and device volume is up.
2. Check whether audio is routed to headphones, Bluetooth, or AirPlay instead of the speaker.
3. Open Settings → Sound, preview a voice, and check the click levels.
4. Check whether the selected notes are rests or a particular click role is turned down.
5. After an interruption, confirm the output and start a fresh bar.

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Wireless audio can add listening delay after the app generates the click. That can make the sound lag behind the visible beat. For the closest response, use the built-in speaker or wired headphones. You can dismiss the wireless-audio notice or choose another output; dismissing it does not remove the route’s latency.

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Open Settings → Sound. Choose Precision, Wood block, or Clave and use Preview to listen. Adjust Downbeat, Group starts, and Other beats under Click levels. Test the balance using your actual pattern, especially if an irregular grouping should stand out.

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Common Time supports background metronome audio. Start playback before leaving the app. Calls, other audio sessions, and route changes can interrupt playback. After an interruption, check the output and tap Start again rather than assuming the previous bar position is still running.

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Confirm the current audio output and volume, then start a fresh bar. A new wireless route may have different delay. If sound is still missing, preview a click in Sound settings to separate an output problem from a pattern containing silent rests.

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The highlight is a guide to the current musical position. Audio output delay, especially on wireless routes, can change the relationship between what you hear and see. Use speaker or wired audio when judging that relationship, and follow the selected meter and pulse unit when counting.

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Open Settings → Tuner. The tuner is part of Pro and pauses metronome playback so the click won’t interfere with pitch detection. Allow microphone access, then play one sustained note in a quiet space.

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Check Common Time’s microphone permission in iOS Settings. Move closer to the instrument, reduce background sound, and play one note at a time. Let a sustained note settle before adjusting it; short attacks, chords, and competing sounds can make a pitch reading less stable.

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Cents measure pitch distance from the target note: negative is flat, positive is sharp, and zero is centered. Concert A sets the reference used to calculate tuning. The tuner offers 430–450 Hz; 440 Hz is a common reference. Match your ensemble’s agreed reference rather than adjusting it just to make an out-of-tune note read zero.

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Use the pendulum icon on the main screen or Settings → Traditional pendulum. The free app includes a two-measure preview. Pro unlocks continued use. The beat follows the arm’s center crossing.

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It shares the main metronome’s tempo, meter, subdivision, and sound. Tempo adjustments are shared between the two views. If a practice plan controls playback, edit the section tempos in the plan. Closing the pendulum does not create a separate saved pattern.

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The free app includes the everyday metronome, 20–300 BPM, Tap Tempo, compatible basic subdivisions and accents, custom/grouped meters, count-in, and up to four looping bars. Pro adds independent per-beat rhythms, advanced tuplets, saved practice plans, the tuner, and continued pendulum use. A two-measure pendulum preview is available free.

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Pro is an optional one-time in-app purchase, with no subscription or recurring charge. Open Common Time Pro in Settings to see the current localized price and purchase details before buying. The core metronome remains free.

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Use the Apple Account that made the original purchase. Open Settings → Common Time Pro → Restore Purchases and allow the app to check the purchase online. Restoring Pro access does not itself copy practice plans. Apple also provides help restoring in-app purchases.

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Check that you’re using the original purchasing Apple Account, that your internet connection works, and that in-app purchases are allowed on the device. Restart the app or device and try Restore Purchases again. If it still fails, contact support with your app version and the error message. You don’t need to send passwords, card details, or a full receipt containing personal information.

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The app needs to load product information from the purchase service before it can offer Pro. Check your connection, App Store availability, and any device restrictions on in-app purchases, then reopen the purchase screen. If the problem continues, send support the exact message and your app version; don’t repeatedly attempt payment.

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Apple handles App Store payment and refund requests. Follow Apple’s refund-request instructions or visit Report a Problem using the purchasing Apple Account. Apple determines eligibility and the outcome. For a feature or unlocking problem, you can also contact Common Time support.

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Use Settings → Appearance to choose light, dark, or the system setting. Open Help & Support for the notation explanation if you want to understand marks and counts. The highlighted note, position line, and count provide multiple cues to the current position.

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The tuner analyzes microphone audio live on your device to estimate pitch. It does not record, store, or upload that audio. Microphone permission is requested when you open the tuner. See the privacy notice for more detail.

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Common Time uses RevenueCat to help confirm Pro access and restore purchases; Apple handles payment. The website separately uses Independent Analytics and counts App Store button clicks. Website measurement is separate from metronome playback and tuner processing. Read the privacy notice for the published app and website disclosures.

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Open Settings → Help & Support → Contact support to find app and device details. Include your app version, device model, iOS version, meter/grouping, BPM, subdivision, audio route, and a short sequence of steps. Say what you expected and what happened instead. A screenshot can help if it contains no private information.

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Email support@commontimemetronome.com. For a feature request, describe the musical task you want to practice and what gets in the way. For a purchase problem, include the error and app version without passwords or payment details. You can also browse the support topics or illustrated guide.

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