Time Signatures Explained
A proper understanding of time signatures is essential for using a metronome accurately. Time signatures are located at the start of a musical piece, following the clef and key signature. They comprise of two numerical values:
- The upper number denotes the quantity of beats in a measure.
- The lower number indicates the note value that represents a single beat. For instance, "2" corresponds to a half note, "4" signifies a quarter note, "8" represents an eighth note, and so forth.
Within simple time signatures, each beat is subdivided into equal parts. Some of the commonly used simple time signatures include 2/4, 3/4, 4/4.
In contrast, compound time signatures divide each beat into parts that can be either equal or unequal. These are identified by an upper number, often 6, 9, or 12. The typical lower number in a compound time signature is 8.
To summarize, here are several common examples of time signatures:
| Time | Type | Beats per Measure |
|---|---|---|
| 1/4 | Simple | 1 quarter notes per measure |
| 2/4 | Simple | 2 quarter notes per measure |
| 3/4 | Simple | 3 quarter notes per measure |
| 4/4 | Simple | 4 quarter notes per measure |
| 5/4 | Simple | 5 quarter notes per measure |
| 6/4 | Compound | 6 quarter or 2 dotted half notes |
| 7/4 | Simple | 7 quarter notes per measure |
| 5/8 | Compound | 5 eighth notes (pairs of 2 - 3) |
| 6/8 | Compound | 6 eighth notes (pairs of 3 - 3) |
| 7/8 | Compound | 7 eighth notes (pairs of 2 - 2 - 3) |
| 9/8 | Compound | 9 eighth notes (pairs of 3 - 3 - 3) |
| 12/8 | Compound | 12 eighth notes (pairs of 3 - 3 - 3 - 3) |