time signatures - vyso

©Aydan Con (2020), for use by VYSO online theory learning

Time Signatures

• Time signatures tell you

two things:

o How many beats are

in a bar

o How long each beat

is

o Which beats are

stronger and which

beats are weaker

There are two numbers in a time signature:

4

• The top number shows the number of beats in a bar.

o If the number is 3, there are 3 beats in a bar.



4

• The bottom number tells you how long each beat is

o If the number is 2, each beat is a h long.

o If the number is 4, each beat is a q long.

o If the number is 8, each beat is a e long.

We call the name of each time signature based on the numbers used

for the top and bottom numbers

4

We call this meter

four-four time

6

We call this meter

six-eight time 4 8


Let’s practice our understanding of time signatures! For

each of the following time signatures, circle the correct

word to complete the sentence.

4

There are two/three/four/six beats in each bar.

Each beat is a half/quarter/ eighth note long. 4

2



3



3



6


Each beat is a half/quarter/ eighth note long.

8


2


Each beat is a half/quarter/ eighth note long.

2

3



4



6




Note Durations • This is like fractions in elementary/middle school

• Use the following charts to review how long each note lasts.

w h h

q q q q e e e e ry ry

s s s s dg dg dffg dffg This chart can be confusing to understand. Here is what it means:

1. One whole note (w) is the same duration as two half notes (h), four

quarter notes (q), eight eighth notes (e) or 16 sixteenth notes (s).

2. One half note (h) is the same duration as two quarter notes (q),

four eighth notes (e) or eight sixteenth notes (s).

3. One quarter note (q) is the same duration as two eighth notes (e)

or four sixteenth notes (s).

4. One eighth note is equal to two sixteenth notes (s).


The same can be applied to rests!

W H H

Q Q Q Q E E E E E E E E

S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S

Strong and Weak Beats

• Some beats in the bar are stronger than others

• This helps the listener divide the music into smaller, more

understandable chunks when listening.

• There are strong beats, medium beats, weak beats.

• The table below shows the pattern of the beats

Time signature Pattern

@4 Strong Weak

#4 Strong Weak Weak

$4 Strong Weak Medium Weak

^8 Strong Weak Weak Medium Weak Weak


Let’s practice!

Exercise 1: Label the beats in the parts!

1. Circle all the time signatures in the music below. Each time

signature changes the number of beats in a bar.

2. Label each beat in the bar.

Violin Part


Viola Part


Cello Part


Exercise 2: For each of the following rhythms from the Pirates of the

Caribbean, put the correct time signature at the beginning of each line.

Hint – look at the longest note value that repeats in every bar; that is

often the lower number of the time signature.

eE qq\ q. e q\ qqq\ qqq\ h ry\ q.. e q\qqq\ q. e q\h Q \| h. ry\ qqqQ\ h h\ qqqq\ Q q Q q\Q q Q q\ QQQq \| r.g ry q\ r.g ry q\ r.g ryry\ qqq\ qQ q\ qQ q\| qeeq\ qerty\ rty eEE\ rty eEE\| qryqry\ qryqry\ qryqry\ qqqry\ w\|

Exercise 3: For each of the following rhythms from the Pirates of the

Caribbean, put bar lines at the correct places in each line. The time

signature has already been given at the beginning of each line.

^8 e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e q. q. q. q. h. \|

#4 e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e q. q. q. q. h. \| ^8 eEeeeeeEeeeeq q q eeEEeeq q q eeEEEE\| #4 eEeeeeeEeeeeq q q eeEEeeq q q eeEEEE\| ^8 eeeeeeq eeq qeeq qeeq q eeee eeeeEE\| #4 eeeeeeq eeq qeeq qeeq q eeee eeeeEE\|


^8 q eeq q eeq q ee q q eeee q eeq eeeeEE eeeeEE\| #4 q eeq q eeq q ee q q eeee q eeq eeeeEE eeeeEE\|

Exercise 4: For each of the rhythms in Exercise 3, circle the strong

beats.

Example:

#4r.g ry q\ r.g ry q\ r.g ryry\ qqq\ qQ q\ qQ q\|

time signatures - vyso

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