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Time signatures explained: 4/4, 3/4, 6/8 and more

The time signature is the pair of numbers at the start of a piece. It tells you how the beats are grouped into measures and which note gets one beat, so you know how to count before you play a note.

What the two numbers mean

The top number says how many beats are in each measure. The bottom number says what kind of note gets one beat: 4 means a quarter note, 2 a half note, 8 an eighth note.

• 4/4: four quarter-note beats per measure. So common it is often written as a C, for common time.
• 3/4: three quarter-note beats, the time of waltzes and many hymns.
• 2/4: two quarter-note beats, typical of marches and polkas.

Strong and weak beats

A time signature is more than a count; it sets up a pattern of strong and weak beats. In 4/4 the first beat is strongest, the third is fairly strong, and the second and fourth are weak. In 3/4 the pattern is strong, weak, weak. Feeling that pattern, rather than just counting, is what makes a waltz sound like a waltz. It also helps you read: the first beat of each measure is a fixed point you can always find.

Simple and compound time

In simple time each beat divides into two: 2/4, 3/4 and 4/4 are all simple. In compound time each beat divides into three, and the beat itself is a dotted note.

The common compound signatures have 6, 9 or 12 on top:

• 6/8: six eighth notes per measure, felt as two beats of three (ONE-two-three FOUR-five-six).
• 9/8: three beats of three eighths.
• 12/8: four beats of three eighths, common in slow blues and ballads.

The mistake to avoid is counting 6/8 as six even beats, or confusing it with 3/4. Both have six eighth notes per measure, but 3/4 groups them in three pairs and 6/8 in two groups of three. You can hear the difference: 3/4 lilts in three, 6/8 rocks in two.

Cut time and other signatures

Cut time (2/2, written as a C with a line through it) has two half-note beats per measure. It looks like 4/4 on the page but is felt in two, which makes fast music easier to count. Odd signatures such as 5/4 and 7/8 are usually felt as a mix of groups of two and three; the beaming of eighth notes usually shows how.

How to count

• In simple time, count beats as numbers and their halves as “and”: 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and.
• In compound time, count the eighth notes in groups: 1-2-3 4-5-6, or 1-la-li 2-la-li.
• Before you play, tap or count one measure out loud at the tempo you mean to keep.

Changing time signatures

A new time signature can appear in the middle of a piece, usually at the start of a line or after a double bar. It stays in force until the next one. When reading at sight, look ahead for these so they don’t surprise you.

For note values and rests, see Rhythm basics. For dotted notes, see Dotted notes and ties.