80 BPM in numbers
80 BPM is an Andante tempo: 750 ms per beat, four beats in three seconds. At 80 beats per minute, one beat lasts 750 ms (0.75 s).
| Note or bar | Length at 80 BPM |
|---|---|
| One beat (quarter note) | 750 ms |
| Eighth note | 375 ms |
| Eighth-note triplet | 250 ms |
| Sixteenth note | 188 ms |
| Bar of 3/4 | 2.25 s |
| Bar of 4/4 | 3 s |
| Bars of 4/4 per minute | 20 |
Tempo marking: Andante
80 BPM falls in the Andante range, “at a walking pace”, which this metronome places at 76 to 107 BPM. Reference charts do not all agree, so treat tempo words as a feel rather than a fixed number. 80 is one of the numbers printed on a mechanical (Maelzel) metronome.
What 80 BPM is used for
Kilted Highland regiments of the British Army march at 80 steps per minute, far slower than the 120 of most quick marches. In music, 80 is home to laid-back hip-hop and lo-fi beats, which often sit between 60 and 90 BPM, and to many slow rock ballads.
Walking, running and CPR at 80
CPR: chest compressions need 100 to 120 per minute (American Heart Association), so 80 BPM is too slow for that. Use the 110 BPM metronome to practice.
Walking: below about 100 steps per minute, walking is usually light intensity for adults, according to the CADENCE-Adults study.
Practice ideas at 80 BPM
Play a scale or a short phrase with one note per click, then two (eighths), then four (sixteenths). If it gets messy, go back down 4 BPM and build up again. Press the space bar to start or stop, and use the − and + buttons to move one BPM at a time. Other tempos: 76 BPM, 90 BPM, or the full online metronome. To time a practice session, pair it with a timer.