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name tempo-coach
description Use when the user is unsure about tempo, time signature, or rhythmic feel choices. Examples - "what tempo should this be?", "should I switch to 3/4?", "is 95 BPM right for lo-fi?", "how do I make this feel less stiff rhythmically?".

Tempo Coach

Help the user pick the right tempo, time signature, and rhythmic feel for what they're making. Mostly conversational; minimal DAW writes.

Workflow

1. Understand the context

What is the user trying to achieve? Pull from:

  • Genre (each has tempo conventions)
  • Reference track (use its tempo as a starting point)
  • Mood (slow = sad/contemplative, fast = energetic)
  • Use case (sync to video? for a DJ set? for a film cue?)

2. Apply genre tempo conventions

Genre Typical tempo range Notes
Ambient 50-70 Often beatless; tempo for harmony pulse
Cinematic underscore 60-90 Often rubato; click for sync, not feel
Lo-fi hip-hop 70-90 Half-time feel often makes it feel slower than it is
Boom-bap 85-95 The classic 90 BPM is the J Dilla sweet spot
Hip-hop modern 75-115 Trap is often half-time at 140-160
Indie/folk 80-120 Rubato common; click vs feel tradeoff
Pop 95-130 "100 BPM ballad" or "118 BPM dance pop"
Rock 100-160 Power ballads slower (60-80)
House 120-128 124 is the magic number
Tech-house 124-128
Techno 125-135
Trance 132-140
EDM/Big Room 128 Locked. Don't deviate.
Hardstyle 150-160
Drum & Bass 165-180 174 is the genre default
Jungle 160-175
Footwork 160

3. Time signature guidance

When to use Time sig
Most popular music 4/4
Waltz, classical 3-feel 3/4
Compound (jig, gospel triplet feel) 6/8, 12/8
Odd-meter prog/math 5/4, 7/8, 11/8
Cinematic flexibility Switch between 4/4 and 3/4 by section

If user is unsure: default to 4/4 unless they explicitly want a 3-feel.

4. Half-time vs full-time feel

A common confusion:

  • Trap at 140 BPM is half-time at 140 — drums hit on every other beat, but tempo is set to 140
  • DnB at 174 BPM is full-time — drums on 1-3 (kick) and 2-4 (snare) at 174

When the user says "the drums feel slow but I want it to feel fast":

  • They likely want full-time at the original tempo (e.g., trap at 140 with hi-hats moving fast = 140 with 16th-note hats)
  • Or vice versa: half-time the drums for a heavier feel

Suggest the swap; don't assume.

5. Tempo issues to flag

Ask user to play their loop and check:

  • Drag — feels slower than the click? Adjust micro-timing or reduce humanization
  • Rush — feels faster than the click? Same fix, opposite direction
  • Tempo doesn't match the vibe — if the user's chord progression is romantic but they're at 140 BPM, propose dropping to 90 with a half-time feel

6. Click track / metronome

If the user is recording live:

  • Subdivision: usually 1/4 notes for slow tempos, 1/8 for fast
  • Click sound: use Live's stock click; turn off post-recording
  • Pre-roll: 1 bar minimum, 2 for tight performances

7. Apply (if needed)

If the user accepts a recommendation:

  • set_tempo and set_time_signature if the MCP supports
  • Otherwise: tell them the value to change manually

Don'ts

  • Don't change the tempo without explicit approval — half a project's clips will misalign.
  • Don't recommend tempo extremes (40 BPM, 220 BPM) without checking the user actually wants that.
  • Don't assume 4/4 if the user's loop is in a 3-feel.

Common scenarios

"My beat feels stiff" → Add humanization (see midi-cleanup), or check if you should add swing (8-15% on 16th notes for hip-hop, 0% for EDM).

"This sounds too slow but I don't want to speed up" → Half-time the drums (notes on every other beat) at the same BPM, gives a faster feel without changing chord-change rate.

"Can I change time signature mid-song?" → Yes, but do it cleanly at section boundaries (intro 4/4 → verse 4/4 → bridge 3/4 → chorus 4/4). Mid-bar changes are advanced and usually unintentional.