How Do You Read A Simple Time Signature?
Simple time signatures are used by composers to indicate how each measure in a piece of music is broken down. Time signatures are located in the beginning of a piece of music just to the right of the key signature. A simple time signature clearly lets the musician know how many beats there are per measure, or bar, and usually that the quarter note gets the beat. Look for two numbers, one above the other, in the first measure of your piece. These numbers are your time signature, and the most common simple time signatures have the number 4 on the bottom. Read the bottom number of the time signature. A number 4 on the bottom indicates that the quarter note is setting the beat for each measure. It is notated as the number 4 since it takes 4 quarter notes to equal the value of a whole note. Note the top number of the time signature. This number indicates how many beats there are per measure. The most common simple time signatures are written with a 2, 3 or 4 on the top, meaning that there a
