Electronic metronomes come with digital displays indicating how many beats per minute (bpm) are being produced by the device. They also display how many beats are being counted in each measure of music.
Unlike mechanical metronomes, which are rather cumbersome, newer electronic metronomes are small, lightweight and have no moving parts. This makes them easy to transport from place to place -- from your home to a rehearsal, for instance.
Electronic metronomes offer a range of beat patterns, such as son clave and rumba clave. They also allow for a range of time signatures, including 4/4 time, 3/4 time, and 6/8 time, among others. These devices also often include a tuning note, usually an A, which can be used as a baseline to tune other notes. Unlike traditional metronomes, many electronic metronomes mark the beginning of each musical bar, or measure, with an accentuated tone indicating beat one. This is helpful in music, since virtually every time signature accentuates beat one of each bar.
Typically, pieces of music provide a tempo marking, usually written in Italian, indicating an appropriate bpm range for the piece. For example, a tempo marking of Andante, which means walking speed, indicates a tempo ranging between 72 bpm and 92 bpm. These may be provided on the digital display or beside the display on the metronome's casing.