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Time Signatures: What Is A Time Signature?

The document discusses time signatures in music. It explains that the top number of a time signature indicates the number of beats in a measure, while the bottom number indicates the note value that constitutes one beat. It provides examples of simple time signatures like 4/4 and 3/4 as well as compound signatures like 6/8. It also covers the use of C as an abbreviation for common time.

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Luis Francisco Soto
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81 views

Time Signatures: What Is A Time Signature?

The document discusses time signatures in music. It explains that the top number of a time signature indicates the number of beats in a measure, while the bottom number indicates the note value that constitutes one beat. It provides examples of simple time signatures like 4/4 and 3/4 as well as compound signatures like 6/8. It also covers the use of C as an abbreviation for common time.

Uploaded by

Luis Francisco Soto
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Lesson from Thirty Days to MELODY by Henderson

Click book for more info:


TIME SIGNATURES

Name _______________________________________________________

WHAT IS A TIME SIGNATURE?


A time signature is found at the beginning of the first line of music, following the clef sign and key
signature (sharps or flats). Used as a symbol to tell how many beats will be found in every meas-
ure, the time signature has certain patterns of beats that are stressed or unstressed. To find the
time signature of a piece, look in the designated place for two numbers, one on top of the other.

# 3l œ. œ
& 4 œ J œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

The top number tells us how many beats are contained in each measure and the bottom number
tells what kind of note gets one beat.
Number of beats per measure
Quarter note ( q )gets one beat

If a 2 is the bottom number, a half note (  ) will get one beat or if an 8 is on the bottom, an
eighth note ( e ) gets one beat.

Beats are grouped by measures that are divided appropriately by vertical bar lines

#6 j l l
& 8 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT


Fill in these answers for what the top and bottom numbers tell about the music in each instance.

Ex. = _________________________________________________________
= _________________________________________________________

Ex. = _________________________________________________________
= _________________________________________________________

Ex. = _________________________________________________________
= _________________________________________________________
12
WHAT, NO NUMBERS?
If instead of two numbers, a capital C in place of the time signature is a shortened way of show-
ing a time signature or common time. Because so much music, especially popular Western
music, is written in meter, the C is used as a quicker way to signal this time signature. If the C
C
has a vertical line through it, ( ), this is the symbol for cut time or time, meaning that each
note gets half its original value.

&c (Common) &C (Cut)

The term meter also refers to time signatures and to the way beats are grouped. The three types of
meter are:
duple – two beats per measure in a strong – weak pattern
triple – three beats per measure in a strong – weak – weak pattern
quadruple – four beats per measure in a STRONG – weak – strong – weak pattern

MATCH THEM UP
Draw a line from the time signature on the left to the correct example on the right.

(Duple) \ q q q \ h . \\
(Triple) \ q q q \ h h \\
(Quadruple) \ q Π\ q \\

FILL IN THE TIME


In the following musical examples, look at the number of beats and notes in each measure and write
the correct time signature at the beginning of each staff following the clef-sign and key signature.

& œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ œ œ ˙

## j œ j
œ.
& œ œ œ œ œ . œ œ œ œ œ œ. œ.

#
& œ . œœ œœœ œ œœ œ ˙ œ. œ œ œœœ œ œ œ ˙
. #œ

13

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