Time Signatures
A time signature shows how written note values fill a measure and how the meter is organized. The top number counts units; the bottom number names their note value. The felt beat may match one unit or combine several. Follow the interactive lesson below to learn more.
Compare 4/4, 3/4, 6/8 and 7/8
A bar is the unit a song gets measured in.
What you just learned
- Four
Top says how many, bottom what kind
Four quarter-note beats, then the count starts over. That loop is a bar, written as 4/4.
4/4 = 4 × ♩Read the full answer ↓ - Three
Three beats make a waltz
Same beats at the same speed, but the accent returns after three. One two three, one two three.
ONE two threeRead the full answer ↓ - Six
6/8 groups six into two
Six small beats per bar, grouped into two lots of three. The second big pulse starts halfway through the bar.
ONE two three FOUR five sixRead the full answer ↓ - Six
Grouping splits 3/4 from 6/8
Both hold six eighth notes. 3/4 is three lots of two, 6/8 is two lots of three. Only the accents differ.
3/4: 2+2+2 · 6/8: 3+3Read the full answer ↓ - Name it
You can name a meter by ear
Count the beats before the accent returns. Three means 3/4, four means 4/4, the meter most songs use.
ONE 2 3 = 3/4Read the full answer ↓ - Try it
Move the accent, keep the click
Set one steady eighth-note click. Accent groups of 2, then 3, then 4, without changing the click speed.
groups of 2 · 3 · 4Read the full answer ↓
Where to go from here
Every part of the lesson, answered in full
Open any question to read the full answer.
What do the two numbers mean?
In 4/4, the top 4 says each measure contains four quarter-note units. The bottom 4 means a quarter note is the written unit.
In 3/4, each measure contains three quarter-note units. In 6/8, it contains six eighth-note units.
The numbers are written like a fraction but do not represent division. They describe the capacity and organization of the measure.
Does the bottom number always identify the felt beat?
Not always. In simple 4/4, the quarter-note unit normally matches the beat, so you feel four beats.
In compound 6/8, the six eighth notes normally group into two larger beats of three eighths. The dotted quarter is the felt beat even though the bottom number is 8.
This is why a time signature must be interpreted with its grouping. The written unit and conducting beat can be different levels of the same meter.
What is simple meter?
Simple meter divides each main beat into two equal parts.
- 2/4 has two quarter-note beats
- 3/4 has three quarter-note beats
- 4/4 has four quarter-note beats
Eighth notes divide those quarter beats in two. Count 4/4 as 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and.
The labels duple, triple and quadruple refer to two, three or four main beats per measure.
What is compound meter?
Compound meter divides each main beat into three equal parts.
6/8 normally has two main beats, each containing three eighth notes. Count the subdivisions 1 2 3 4 5 6, with main accents on 1 and 4, or count two larger beats as 1 and a 2 and a.
9/8 commonly has three dotted-quarter beats. 12/8 commonly has four.
The top numbers 6, 9 and 12 signal groups of three in standard compound-meter use. Tempo and beaming help show the intended main pulse.
Why are 3/4 and 6/8 different?
One bar of 3/4 and one bar of 6/8 can both hold six eighth notes. Their accents divide the time differently.
3/4 feels three main beats, each divided in two:
ONE and TWO and THREE and
6/8 feels two main beats, each divided in three:
ONE two three FOUR five six
Clap identical eighth notes and move only the accents. The grouping changes even when the individual notes remain equally spaced.
How do you count 7/8?
Seven eighth notes are usually grouped into smaller units such as 2+2+3, 3+2+2 or 2+3+2.
For 2+2+3, count:
ONE two THREE four FIVE six seven
The accents identify the grouping more clearly than counting straight from one to seven.
Odd meter is not random. Short and long groups repeat predictably, and performers learn that recurring pattern as one measure.
How do you find the meter by ear?
Find a steady pulse, then listen for a larger restart. Harmony, bass, melody and drums may all help mark beat 1.
Determine whether the main beats divide into two or three. That separates simple from compound meter.
Listen through several measures. Syncopation can hide the expected accents temporarily, while the underlying grouping continues.
A recording can support more than one plausible notation. Choose the meter that makes repeated phrases and subdivisions easiest to read.
What is common time and cut time?
Common time is another symbol for 4/4.
Cut time uses a C with a vertical line and means 2/2. The measure still contains the duration of four quarter notes, but performers feel two half-note beats.
Cut time makes a quick stream of quarter and eighth notes easier to conduct and phrase in larger units.
Can a piece change time signature?
Yes. A song can move from 4/4 to 3/4, add one 2/4 bar or alternate 7/8 with 4/4.
The pulse may stay constant while the measure length changes. It can also undergo a metric modulation where one subdivision becomes the new beat.
Mark each change and keep counting through the barline. A new signature changes the grid from that point onward.
How should you practice meters?
Set one steady eighth-note click. Accent groups of 2, then 3, then 4 without changing the click speed.
Next compare 3/4 and 6/8. Speak the main beats while clapping all six subdivisions.
Finally choose 7/8 and repeat one grouping until its accents feel like a pattern instead of arithmetic.