Questions tagged [time-signatures]
Numeric ratio indicating the subdivision of measures according to groups of beats.
516 questions
1
vote
3
answers
191
views
Play and write piano music
How would someone write a 3/4 bar correctly if it included a 2 and 1/2 beat (tied or as one note) and an 8th note.
1
vote
2
answers
79
views
LilyPond: Beam subdivisions lost when using compound time signatures and tuplets
I'm running into this issue, hopefully user error, with both the stable (2.24.4) and development (2.25.21) branches of LilyPond. In the first measure of music, I need the beam to be subdivided every ...
5
votes
3
answers
315
views
How fast to play Rachmaninoff’s Études-Tableaux, Op. 33 No. 5 in G minor?
According to wikipedia moderato is around 108-120 BPM. Does the time signature of cut time (2 beats per bar) here mean that there should be 120 half notes per minute (240 quarter notes per minute ...
4
votes
3
answers
2k
views
4/4 time change to 6/8 time
I have a classical piece that changes from 4/4 time to 6/8 time and indicates a quarter note in 4/4 time = a dotted quarter in 6/8 time.
I have no idea what this means.
9
votes
3
answers
643
views
How would you read this time change with the given note equivalence?
Without the note equivalence I would just read the following as "play twice as fast". In this case though it seems like nothing changes from 3/4 to 3/8, since the beats are made to be equal. ...
8
votes
5
answers
1k
views
Is a sixteenth note quintuplet worth 4 sixteenth notes? If so, why is this wrong?
So, I'm doing a theory course, and there's this one problem where it asks you to find the time signature of this melody:
According to the theory course, the correct answer would be 6/8 time.
I ...
3
votes
2
answers
380
views
6/8 or 2/4 with triplets?
Just a quick question.
Can I use 2/4 with triplets instead of 6/8; will I get the same groove?
I guess the only difference is that in the case of 2/4, my second down beat would be more accented than ...
8
votes
7
answers
3k
views
How to choose between 3/4 and 6/8 time?
I am currently transcribing a piece of music for piano, and I have the following passage in 3/4 time:
I find that 3/4 time allows the half note in the RH to fall on the second beat, but the drawback ...
4
votes
3
answers
1k
views
Metronome markings and 3/8 time signature. How should I interpret the metronome markings if the time signature is 3/8?
I'm playing an exercise for snare drum that has time signature 3/8 and metronome marking ♪=76.
As far as I understand, this means that every eighth note gets 1 beat and there are 3 beats in each bar. ...
1
vote
1
answer
204
views
What is the time signature in Metallica's "Nothing Else Matters" [closed]
The song is very popular and has been notated countless times, in all possible ways. What note values and time signature should be used to notate the music?
The main six note guitar pattern:
seems to ...
0
votes
5
answers
179
views
Confusion with identifying the bottom number of the time signature of a song by ear
I have some confusion about identifying the bottom number of the time signature by ear when listening to songs. I'll use two examples to illustrate my confusion, one in simple meter and one in ...
7
votes
7
answers
4k
views
Why are there no notes called 3rd, 5th, 6th, 7th, 9th, 10th, 11th etc?
I’m studying Time Signature and I understand that the top number indicates the amount of beats per measure and the bottom note indicates the note value of those beats. But it got me thinking about ...
8
votes
6
answers
2k
views
Confusion about time signature
Newb here. Learning time signature for the first time. Learning from online sources.
I've learned that the top number in the time signature is the the number of beats in the measure and the bottom ...
0
votes
4
answers
135
views
I'm blanking on a word regarding rhythmic interpretation (making 4/4 sound like 3/4 and vice versa)
I know it's not polyrhythm or anything along poly-whatever lines (I could be wrong, but nothing's ringing a bell) and the only results I'm getting are either like that or not related to my question to ...
5
votes
2
answers
113
views
How are dotted eighth-sixteenth note patterns counted in compound meter?
As someone who was taught to count compound meter like this:
How would this system count the following patterns whilst still keeping the beat on the dotted quarter note?
8
votes
2
answers
1k
views
What does "gets the beat" mean?
When learning music theory, I keep hearing the terminology of, for example, a quarter note in a piece of music in 4/4 time "getting the beat". What exactly does this mean?
0
votes
2
answers
208
views
How many beats are there in this hymn?
I'm looking to understand how to identify beats. As I understand it, there should be four beats per measure in this hymn, as established by the time signature which says four half notes.
In the first ...
3
votes
7
answers
292
views
Can 1 beat = 1 eighth note instead of 1 quarter note?
I'm learning basic music theory. I see that 1 beat = 1 quarter note, but I'm wondering if this rule is strict or can it be modified.
Can 1 beat = 1 eighth note instead of 1 quarter note?
1
vote
1
answer
132
views
Scheme function for time signatures in LilyPond
I would like to notate a piece proportionally in LilyPond in which different time signatures are layered polymetrically. To do this, I want to place the time signatures above the staves, or more ...
9
votes
5
answers
972
views
Inconsistent number of beats per measure
This perhaps just betrays my ignorance, but I don't understand why in the attached piece, in 3/4 time, certain bars, such as 10 and 12, have 6 instead of 3 quarter notes, with no change in the time ...
-2
votes
4
answers
214
views
If you write a song by doing the lyrics first isn’t that technically starting with time (rhythm) rather than with pitch? Is the term for it phrasing?
If you write a song by doing the lyrics first isn’t that technically starting with time (rhythm) rather than with pitch, and would the term for that be musical phrasing?
E.g, if you write out a 4 ...
5
votes
2
answers
817
views
How to notate free time in MuseScore
Inspired by this question: Why does Musescore interpret Westergaard's A-flat as G? Seeking Clarification on Pitch Spelling
Let's say I would like to notate some sequence of notes in MuseScore, ...
2
votes
2
answers
311
views
Is a whole note always one bar long, regardless of the time signature? [duplicate]
I found conflicting information about this online.
I am only familiar with 4/4, nothing else.
So, I was wondering if a whole note always one bar long, regardless of the time signature?
Or is it longer ...
0
votes
3
answers
691
views
What is this weird “e” time signature?
I'm looking at a piano arrangement of Right Behind You by Mike Morasky.
The time signature looks like a weird “e”, what does this mean?
5
votes
3
answers
2k
views
Why is "Für Elise" written in 3/8 when there are a few bars in 2/16?
I am transcribing Für Elise in flat.io and I have noticed that these two bars do not add to 3/8, but instead 2/16 and 1/4 respectively.
I am guessing they somehow complement each other and that maybe ...
1
vote
1
answer
97
views
Is there an error in this measure? (beat count in Simplified Mendelssohn Op. 19 No. 1)
I got this arrangement for beginner piano solo from free-scores website. It has two voices. As you see the time signature is "C"=4/4. In Measure 27 bass clef, one voice is a whole C note, ...
0
votes
8
answers
310
views
is there a way to notate in a time signature a recurring triplet?
In The Beatles song “Ticket To Ride” the verses use a compound meter of 2/4 + ¼ note triplet. If put in a time signature would it look like this?
2 3
— + —
4 3
Is there a way to notate a triplet ...
3
votes
2
answers
385
views
Are the terms time and rhythm interchangeable?
I’ve been reading a few books that are titled as if rhythm is a term that is interchangeable with time. I.e, I would have personally titled them something like the study of time in music or elements ...
9
votes
4
answers
2k
views
Were there any automatic timekeeping devices prior to the metronome used for setting and maintaining tempo (BPM) and pulse?
I know there's a decent amount of science that goes into creating a device that can set and maintain time, so this may be a very simple question with "no" being the answer, but I'm just ...
1
vote
1
answer
448
views
How to count when bass and treble clefs share notes or chords
I'm totally new to piano. I have a background in guitar, programming and some math, therefore I tend to think a little in an "exact number of boxes" fashion or "an array of numbers"...
4
votes
2
answers
309
views
Why does the tab below show 4/4 and not 16/16 when there are 1/16th notes, but the next section shows 9/16?
In the below screenshot, we can see that there are 1/16th notes written as 4 groups of 4 1/16th notes.
What difference does it make if it is written as 16/16, does it change the feel of the song, or ...
2
votes
2
answers
790
views
Use 4/4 + 2/4 versus 6/4 time signature
I tried to understand and then transcribe the song "Halo on Fire" by Metallica (2016). I noticed there are two sections when the time signature changes from 4/4 to 6/5. I will use the ...
1
vote
3
answers
110
views
Measure numbers in alternating time signature with dotted barlines
A piece has an alternating 7/8 and 8/8 pattern a la this answer's second example, notated as 7+8/8 with dotted barlines between.
For the purpose of numbering, does the full 15-beat pattern count as ...
8
votes
3
answers
839
views
How do I decide if my piece should be expressed as 3/4, 6/4 or 3/2?
I'm still an amateur composer, but I've been wanting to explore time signatures outside of 4/4. The trouble is, I'm having issues figuring the actual time signature of what I've written. I was ...
1
vote
1
answer
236
views
Calculate note timestamps
I'm trying to develop an application that reads data from guitar pro file and then for each note in there, it gives me timestamps (with some other useful infos for sure).
However, it isn't trivial to ...
1
vote
1
answer
61
views
I am unsure of what time signature to use for my piece, as I'm pretty sure it changes mid-way through
Here is my piece so far, as you can see in green, the melody is highlighted. It starts on beat one, but I need a write the repeat in a clearer way so that it starts on beat one the second time it is ...
0
votes
3
answers
315
views
Tchaikovsky's sleeping beauty Op. 66 introduction measure 28
I was listening to the ballet sleeping beauty.
In the beginning in the introduction, when there is a change of time signature. (measure 28) it felt like three beats.
I looked up the score, and it ...
6
votes
1
answer
2k
views
What is the correct rest grouping in 6/4 time?
From an ABRSM test paper (G5)
The last rest is incorrect according to the answer. However to me it divides the dotted minim beat into 2+1 for compound time and appears correct.
What is wrong with it ...
11
votes
5
answers
2k
views
How to write time signatures in emails and texts
Time Signatures
I was always taught that a time signature should be written as a fraction without a line
However, this is a bind, or even impossible, in emails, Word and texts, etc. So, I am ...
3
votes
2
answers
847
views
If I've put the notes correctly in the first piano roll image, why does it not sound correct?
I used this video to find the notes of ghost riders in the sky.
Based on this image:
I created this in Fl Studio:
I used to resize all of them together, making them faster or slower.
But it doesn't ...
6
votes
1
answer
166
views
Problems with notation in 6/8 and dotted sixteenth
I have been practicing with the Stick Control book by George Lawrence Stone. After a while it starts with the 6/8 time signature, but then I ran into some notation that I can't quite understand. If ...
1
vote
3
answers
392
views
Time signatures and music [closed]
My daughter has created a piece of music for her B-Tec music production class in which the time signature changes, but the tutor is trying to argue that this is not correct. Can someone please clarify ...
2
votes
0
answers
89
views
Hip-Hop Song Analysis [closed]
A friend and I are delving into some UK Hip-hop and have been listening to the much older songs and analyzing their style. I was wondering if anyone would want to help and provide their detailed input ...
2
votes
1
answer
153
views
What pickup time signature is this [closed]
How can you have an eighth note quadruplet and three eighth notes after. And how can you have a quadruplet with a dotted half note and two quarter notes?
6
votes
2
answers
564
views
How should I read the timing on this measure of Rachmaninoff 32 10?
I'm working on Rachmaninoff's piano prelude Op 32 No 10, and I'm having trouble combining the left and right hand on m. 47 (screenshot below).
Basically, I can't figure out which right hand notes line ...
5
votes
5
answers
861
views
Is a syncopated rhythm in 4/4 time really 4/4 time?
I am working on this score (so far just cellos violas and bassses) which uses a changing rhythm but in modern music this could be notated in 4/4 time too with syncopation. In fact, the rhythm used is ...
1
vote
0
answers
71
views
What's the practical differences between 4/4 and 4/8? (or 4/2, and so on) [duplicate]
I read a lot on the web about this topic, but the answer I got mainly is "depends on how composer will write the sheet music", and it seems a convention.
What (in practical) will change? ...
0
votes
3
answers
375
views
Is it correct to state that this is 2/3 time signature?
Basically, if this is 4/4 (i.e. 4 beats aka 1 bar, 4 clocks):
and this is 1/4 (i.e. 1 beat aka 1/4 bar, 4 clocks):
is it correct to state that this is 2/3? (i.e. 2 beats aka half bar, 3 clocks):
0
votes
2
answers
338
views
time signatures in shuffle funk
I am struggling at understanding how is called the time signature in funk where the eighth note is divided in 3 and only the 1st and 3rd are played...sixteenth note triplets.
In jazz it would be ...
2
votes
2
answers
252
views
Changing the time signature so all notes fit in one bar
I'm currently making sheet music for a song that isn't mine and I know it's in 4/4 but as the song progresses, there's no way I can fit all notes in that time signature, so I'm changing it to 6/4, 7/4,...