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Time Signatures
A time signature is the two numbers, aligned vertically, at the beginning of a piece of music that tell us how many counts are in each measure and which rhythmic symbol, or note, receives one count.
Below is an example of a time signature.
In this example, the time signature is 4/4, pronounced "four four". This means that there are 4 counts per measure and a quarter note receives one count.
In time signatures the upper number may be any number at all from 1 through even a ridiculously high number. The bottom number, however, can only be one of a few numbers that are abbreviations for certain rhythmic symbols. Below is a legend for what those bottom numbers stand for:
1 = Whole Notes
2 = Half Notes
4 = Quarter Notes
8 = Eighth Notes
16 = Sixteenth Notes
32 = Thirty-second notes
And so forth.
Therefore, in the time signature 6/8, a common time signature, there are 6 counts per measure and an eighth notes receives 1 count.
The most common time signatures are: 4/4 (Also called common time and labeled as "C"), 3/4 (Waltz Time), 2/2 (Cut Time), 6/8 and 9/8.
Time signatures can also tell us the style of a piece of music (such as waltz time) and sometimes the speed of the music (cut time). Usually, time signatures do not denote speed which is defined by tempo marks. See that topic for more information on speed in music.
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