Time signatures appear in every piece of written music throughout the ages, except the very early years of music. Time signatures are extremely important in all music as the top number tells you how many beats there are in the bar and the bottom number tells you what that beat is made up of eg. 4/4 tells you there are 4 beats in the bar, and the beat is chrotchets. Music has two forms of Time Signatures, simple time and compound time : Simple time has 3 possible variants - Simple Duple, Simple Triple and Simple Quadruple. Compound time also has 3 possible variants - Compound Duple, Compound Triple and Compound Quadruple. Simple Time Signatures In Simple time there are 3 basic possibilities. Simple Duple Time:
Simple Triple Time:
Simple Quadruple Time:
The top number in each example tells you the number of beats in the bar and the bottom number tells you the type of note used for each beat according to the following tanble. i.e 2 = Mimim beats, 4 = Crotchet beats, 8 = Quaver beats etc Common time, 4/4 is usually represented by the symbol C and 2/2 by the same symbol with a verticle line though it. In simple time the beat divides into 2 or 4. If we require the beat to be divided into 3, we can either use triplets or more conveniently use Compound Time - this is where each beat is represented by a dotted note and is therefore readily divided into 3, 6, 9 etc. Beaming of Simple Time You must make sure you beam simple time into crotchet beats, so that these crotchet beats are clearly visable. You must never cross the beat. E.G
In simple time you beam rests in the same manner making sure the beats are clearly visable. E.G
Compound Time Signatures Compound Duple :
Compound Triple :
Compound Quadruple :
Beaming of Compound Time You must make sure you beam compound time into dotted crotchet beats (3 quavers), so that these crotchet beats are clearly visable. You must never cross the beat. E.G or any group where 3 quavers are clearly shown.
In compound time you bean rests in the same manner making sure the beats are clearly visable. E.G
|
