90 BPM in numbers
90 BPM is not on a mechanical dial (88 and 92 are). It is a mid Andante: each beat lasts 667 ms. At 90 beats per minute, one beat lasts 667 ms (0.67 s).
| Note or bar | Length at 90 BPM |
|---|---|
| One beat (quarter note) | 667 ms |
| Eighth note | 333 ms |
| Eighth-note triplet | 222 ms |
| Sixteenth note | 167 ms |
| Bar of 3/4 | 2 s |
| Bar of 4/4 | 2.67 s |
| Bars of 4/4 per minute | 22.5 |
Tempo marking: Andante
90 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. 90 is not printed on a mechanical (Maelzel) metronome, which jumps from 88 to 92; this one gives you an exact 90.
What 90 BPM is used for
90 is a home tempo for hip-hop, usually placed between 85 and 110 BPM, and for reggaeton, often produced around 90. The French Foreign Legion is famous for its slow parade step of 88 steps per minute, just under 90.
Walking, running and CPR at 90
CPR: chest compressions need 100 to 120 per minute (American Heart Association), so 90 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 90 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: 80 BPM, 100 BPM, or the full online metronome. To time a practice session, pair it with a timer.