![]() If you use "6" on the top, because the beat splits into 3, then you use "4" below, because there are six crotchets (quarter notes). The lower number depends on the top number of course. This is how you can tell the difference between simple and compound time: the top number of the time signature tells you, and the rhythms in the bar tell you too. Simple time signatures use 2, 3 and 4 as the top number.Ĭompound time signatures use 6, 9 and 12 as the top number. Whenever the main beat splits into two, like in 3/2, the music is in simple time. Whenever the main beat splits into three, like in 6/4, the music is in compound time. ![]() Two crotchets (quarter notes) written as one single note is a minim (half note). What note value is equal to one main beat?Įach main beat is equal to two crotchets (quarter notes). Look at the 3/2 bar, and do the same thing. Three crotchets (quarter notes) written as one single note is a dotted minim (dotted half note). What note values would you use if you wanted to write just one note for each of the two main beats?Įach main beat is equal to three crotchets (quarter notes). This would give us a total of three main beats per bar, so the music is in triple time. On the other hand, we could play it a different way, so that the 1st, 3rd and 5th notes are slightly stressed: Imagine that the above bar with six crotchets (quarter notes) was played with a slight stress on the 1st and 4th notes:Īs you can see, this would give us two main beats per bar. When we talk about the "main beats", we mean the "strong and weak beats", and not the off-beats. This gives us three types of beat: strong beat, weak beat, off-beat. ![]() The other main beats receive a slightly stronger stress than the "off-beats". The first beat of bar receives a stronger stress or accent than the other main beats. Triple time means there are 3 main beats per bar, and quadruple time means there are 4. When there are 2 main beats per bar, the music is in duple time. Each regular time signature can be further described as duple, triple or quadruple, and as either simple or compound. Regular time signatures are a little more tricky. Remember that the top number tells you how many to count, and the lower number tells you the type of note. Irregular time signatures are straightforward: here we have 5 crotchets (quarter notes), so the time signature is 5/4. 5 is not divisible by 2, 3 or 4, so this will be be an irregular time signature. In this bar though, there are 5 crotchets' (quarter notes') worth. There could be either 2 or 3 beats per bar, depending on the time signature. Six is divisible by 2 or 3, so it will be a regular time signature. In the bar above, you can count six crotchets (quarter notes). Irregular time signatures have any number of beats per bar which is not divisible by 2, 3 or 4. Regular time signatures have 2, 3 or 4 beats per bar. In fact, without the time signature, we can't tell how many beats there are, but we can be sure there aren't six!Īll time signatures are either regular or irregular. How many beats do you think there are in that bar? What am I talking about exactly? Take a look at this bar: This is a really important point to grasp, and one that is new to many students at this level. They tell you how many main beats per bar there are. They also give you some very important information: Time signatures don't only tell you how many notes there are in a bar. This is easy to remember, as the letters CKT must be in alphabetical order!Īlthough the clef and key signatures must be repeated on every new line of music, the time signature is not repeated: The order that these 3 symbols must be written is always Clef- Key- Time. The time signature must appear at the beginning of a piece of music, after the clef and the key signature. Where should you write the time signature? Means we count 4 minims (half notes) per bar. Means we count 6 quavers (eighth notes) per bar, and Means we count 2 crotchets (quarter notes) per bar The upper number tells you how many of these notes you need to count. (You might also see a lower number 32 used in pieces that you play, but this doesn't normally come up in the Grade 5 Theory Exam.) The numbers you can find in the lower position are: The lower number represents of a type of note to count in each bar:įor example, the lower number 4 tells you that the kind of note we must count is a crotchet (quarter note) because the number 4 (in the lower position) stands for crotchet (quarter note). The time signature tells you how many main beats there are in one bar, and how long each main beat is.Ī time signature is made up of 2 numbers, one written above the other. Time Signature Numbers: What do they mean? (In this lesson, US note names are given in brackets).
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