Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 3: Learn the basics of the time signature
• Method 2 of 3: Picking out a time signature by looking at the music
• Method 3 of 3: Hear the time signature
• Tips

The time signature is an important part of every piece of music and indicates the number of beats per minute for a piece of music. While they may seem deceptively simple, they can get more complicated if you try to figure them out, based on the music you see or hear. Before you get into that, you should know the basics of a time signature so that you can see or hear it more easily when you need it.

To step

Method 1 of 3: Learn the basics of the time signature

1. Learn to distinguish between single and compound time signatures. Find the time signature at the beginning of the song, just after the violin or bass clef.A single time signature means that a regular note (not one with a dot), such as a quarter note, half note, or whole note, is accented. In a composite time signature, notes with a dot are emphasized, such as a quarter note, half note, etc. with a dot after them. The main way to identify a compound time signature is to look at the top number. For a composite time signature, that measure is six or greater and a multiple of three.
   • By the compound time rule, 6/4 is a compound time signature because it has a "6" at the top, which is a multiple of 3. 3/8 is a single time signature, however, because the top number is less than six.
   • Time signature is also referred to as the meter, and the time signature represents the meter for the song.
   • If you look at the top digit, you can see the type of meter of the song: 2 = simple binary, 3 = simple ternary, 4 = simple quaternary, 6 = compound binary, 8 = compound ternary, and 12 = compound quaternary.
2. Find out which note the measure is on in a single measure division by looking at the bottom number. The bottom number in a single time signature indicates the note on which the beat lies. For example, "4" indicates that the quarter note is accented, while "2" indicates that the beat will be on the half note.
   • The bottom numbers in a single time signature always refer to a specific note given a single beat:
     • A "1" as the bottom number tells you that the whole note gets the beat.
     • "2" means that the half note is equal to 1 beat.
     • "4" shows you that the quarter note gets the beat.
     • If you see an "8", it means the eighth note is 1 beat.
     • Finally, a "16" indicates that the sixteenth note gets the beat.
   • For example: 4/4 is a single time signature. The bottom "4" tells you that the quarter note lasts for a beat.
3. Identify which notes with a period last a beat for compound time signatures. With compound time signatures it is a bit more complicated, because you could describe it in two ways. A note with a dot always gets the beat, but you can also think of it as a division of a note with a tip, divided into three shorter notes of equal length.
   • For example, each of these bottom numbers indicates the following in a composite time signature:
     • A "4" means that a half note with a dot lasts one beat, and can be divided into three quarter notes.
     • "8" means that the quarter note with a dot is given the beat equal to three eighth notes.
     • A "16" indicates that the eighth note with a dot is given the beat equal to three sixteenth notes.
   • 6/8 time is a composite time signature. The "8" indicates that a quarter note with a dot is given the beat; however, you could also say that a single beat consists of 3 eighth notes (the same length as a quarter note with a dot).
4. Check how many beats there are in a measure. The highest number indicates how many beats each measure gets. In single time signatures, you simply read the number to get the number of beats per measure. In compound meters, divide the number by three to get the number of beats per measure.
   • For example, 2/4 has two beats per measure, and 3/4 has three beats per measure; both are singular time signatures.
   • In compound time signatures, 6/8 has two beats per measure, while 9/12 has three beats per measure.
5. Learn the basic note values. When discussing note values, generally assume 4/4 as the time signature, as that is the most common time signature. In that case, the quarter note is the one with a stem, and it lasts one beat. Half notes are two beats and are hollow with a stem, while whole notes are just a hollow circle, equal to four beats. Eighth notes are a half turn, and they have a filled-in circle with a small flag at the top right of the stem, although they are sometimes linked together at the top.
   • Rests also get count, same as their note equivalents. A quarter rest looks almost like a stylized 3, while a half rest is a small rectangle at the top of the centerline. A whole rest is a small rectangle below the second line from the top, and an eighth rest is a stem with a flag to the left of the top.

Method 2 of 3: Picking out a time signature by looking at the music

1. Determine the number of beats per measure. When you look at a piece of music, you will see five lines running parallel to each other across the sheet. In those lines you see vertical lines that divide the music into measures. One measure is the space between two vertical lines. To find the number in a measure, count the notes using a quarter note as the base beat.
   • Write the number of beats each note receives above the measure, then add them together for the measure.
   • For example, if you have a quarter note, a half note, and a quarter rest, you have four beats because the quarter note is one beat, the half note is two beats, and the quarter rests a beat.
   • If you have 4 eighth notes, 2 quarter notes, and a whole note, you have eight beats. The 4 eighth notes are equal to two beats, while the 2 quarter notes are equal to two beats and the whole note is four beats.
   • If you have 2 half notes and 2 eighth notes, that's five beats, because each half note equals two beats and the 2 eighth notes equals one beat.
2. Look at the length of the notes to decide which time signature sounds best. For example, if most of the notes are quarter notes and half notes, it may make sense to give the quarter note the beat. If there are more eighth notes, it may make sense to give the eighth note the beat. Basically, you want to make it as easy as possible when you're counting the beat, which is why the notes that occur most often should be given the beat.
   • For example, if the notes are 2 quarter notes, a half note, and a half rest, the time signature could be 6/4 or 12/8. In 4/6 the quarter note would be given the beat; in 12/8 the half note with a dot - however, you usually see more eighth notes in that time signature if one beat is equal to 3 eighth notes. In this case, 6/4 probably makes more sense.
   • If the notes are 2 half notes and 2 quarter notes, it could be 2.5 / 2, 5/4 or 10/8. You should not use decimals, so 2.5 / 2 does not exist. 10/8 doesn't make much sense because you don't have eighth notes, so 5/4 is the most likely, counting quarter notes as a beat
3. Focus on the longest possible note value when counting the measure. Usually when determining a time signature, you try to count the longest note value as the base beat, meaning which note gets the beat. For example, count half notes as the time signature, if you can - if that doesn't make sense, continue counting quarter notes as the time signature.
   • In the example of 2 half notes and 2 quarter notes, 2.5 / 2 would count the half note as the beat, but since no decimal places are allowed, choose the next longest beat, the quarter note.
4. Consider how the eighth notes are grouped to help decide between "4" and "8". When the bottom number of the time signature is 4, the eighth notes are often grouped in two, connected at the top with their flags. On the other hand, if the eighth notes are in groups of three, that usually means that the bottom number of the time signature is 8.

Method 3 of 3: Hear the time signature

1. Start by finding the rhythm or beat. When listening to a song, you can start by tapping your foot or head to the beat. This measure is called the beat, rhythm, or pulse that you add to playing the song. Start by finding this beat and tap it.
2. Listen for an emphasis on certain beats from the percussion. Often the even beats get an extra accent or sound, especially in rock or pop music. So, for example, you might hear something like "boom, boom, boom, boom" as the beat, but on top of it, you hear a few extra beats, such as "pa-boom, boom, pa-boom, boom."
   • Often the first beat in the measure is emphasized more strongly, so try to listen to that too.
3. Listen to the backbeats to emphasize other instruments. While the drums will often hit the even beats, other instruments in the song can hit the backbeats or the odd beats. So while you may hear a more solid thump on the even beats, listen for other beats that have the emphasis elsewhere.
4. Look for major changes on the first beat of the measure. For example, you can hear chord changes on the first beat of most bars. You may also hear other changes such as melody movements or harmony changes. Often times, the first note of the measure is where major changes happen in a song.
   • Listening to strong and weak notes can help. For example, the beats for double time (2/4 and 6/8) are strong and then weak. The beats for triple time (3/4 and 9/8), are strong-weak-weak, while for quadruple time (4/4 or 'C' for regular or 'common' time and 12/8), strong- be weak-medium-weak.
5. Try to hear how the beats are grouped based on the rows. For example, you may notice that the beats are collected in groups of two, three or four. Count out the beats if you can. Listen to the first beat of each measure, then count the notes, 1-2-3-4, 1-2-3, etc., until you hear the first beat of the next measure.
6. Choose the most likely time signature for the song. If you hear four strong beats in a bar, you probably have a 4/4 time signature because that's most common in pop, rock, and other popular music. Remember, the bottom "4" tells you that the quarter note takes a beat, and the top "4" tells you that you have four beats in each measure. If you feel two strong beats, as well as triplicate notes, you may have a 6/8 time signature, which is counted in groups of two, but each of those beats can be divided into 3 eighth notes.
   • A time signature like 2/4 is most commonly used in polkas and marches. You may hear "oem-pa-pa, oem-pa-pa" in songs like this, where the "oem" is a quarter note on the first beat and the "pa-pa" 2 eighth notes on the second beat.
   • Another option is 3/4, which is often used in waltzes and minuets. Here you hear three beats in the bar, but you don't hear the triplets in 6/8 (a triplet consists of 3 eighth notes).

Tips

• At slower tempos, all eighth notes are counted in 12/8, 9/8, 6/8, and 3/8 measures.
• If you see "C" in the time signature, it stands for "Common time" or 4/4. A "C" with a line through it stands for "Cut time", or 2/2.