How to Calculate the Time Signature of a Song

Thứ bảy - 27/04/2024 01:08
Time signatures are an important component of any piece of music as they tell you the beats for the song. While they can seem deceptively simple, they can get more complicated when you're trying to work them out based on the music you see...
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Time signatures are an important component of any piece of music as they tell you the beats for the song. While they can seem deceptively simple, they can get more complicated when you're trying to work them out based on the music you see or hear. Before you get into that, make sure you know the basics of what makes up a time signature, making it easier to see or hear it when you need to.

Method 1
Method 1 of 3:

Learning the Basics of Time Signatures

  1. Step 1 Distinguish between simple and compound time signatures.
    Find the time signature at the beginning of the song, just after the treble or base clef. A simple time signature means a regular note (not a dotted one) gets the beat, such as a quarter note, half note, or whole note. In a compound time signature, dotted notes get the beat, such as a dotted quarter note, dotted half note, and so on. The main way to identify a compound meter is to look at the upper number. For a compound meter, it must be 6 or higher and a multiple of 3. [1]
    • Following the rule of compound meters, 6/4 is a compound meter because there's a "6" on top, which is multiple of 3. 3/8, however, is a simple meter because the top number is less than 6.
    • Time signatures are also referred to as meter signatures, and the time signatures tell you the meter for the song.
    • When looking at the top number, it tells you the type of meter of the song: 2 = simple double, 3 = simple triple, 4 = simple quadruple, 6 = compound double, 8 = compound triple, and 12 = compound quadruple.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 3:

Figuring out a Time Signature by Looking at the Music

  1. Step 2 Look at the length of the notes to decide which time signature seems best.
    For instance, if most of the notes are quarter notes and half notes, it may make sense to have the quarter note take the beat. If more are eighth notes, it may make sense to have the eighth note take the beat. Basically, you want to make it as easy as possible when you're counting the beat, and therefore, the notes the appear the most should take the beat.[6]
    • For example, if the notes are 2 quarter notes, a half note, and a half rest, the time signature could be 6/4 or 12/8. In 6/4, the quarter note would get the beat; in 12/8, the dotted half note would, but you typically see more eighth notes in that time signature as 1 beat is equal to 3 eighth notes. In this case, 6/4 likely makes more sense.
    • If the notes are 2 half notes and 2 quarter notes, that could be 2.5/2, 5/4, or 10/8. You shouldn't use decimals, so 2.5/2 is out. 10/8 doesn't make a lot of sense because you don't have any eighth notes, so 5/4 is the most likely, where you're counting quarter notes as 1 beat.[7]
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Method 3
Method 3 of 3:

Hearing a Time Signature

  1. Step 6 Choose the most likely time signature for the song.
    If you are hearing 4 strong beats in a measure, you likely have a 4/4 time signature as that's the most common in pop, rock, and other popular music. Remember, the bottom "4" tells you the quarter note gets the beat, and the top "4" tells you that you have 4 beats in each measure. If you feel 2 strong beats but also hear notes in triples behind it, you might have a 6/8 time, which is counted in 2s but each one of those beats can be divided into 3 eighth notes.
    • 2/4 time is most often used in polkas and marches. You may hear "om-pa-pa, om-pa-pa" in this type of song, where the "om" is a quarter note on the first beat and the "pa-pa" is 2 eighth notes on the second beat.
    • Another possibility is 3/4, which is often used in waltzes and minuets. Here, you'll hear 3 beats in the measure, but you won't hear the triplets you do in 6/8 (a triplet is 3 eighth notes).
    • Dance music is almost as big a category as non-dance music.
    • In terms of time signature, you can use the music to which it is easy to dance, has a predictable section length, and about 16 bars.[11]
    • Plenty of modern electronic dance music has a pretty clear drop. So the song with the highest energy and biggest bass drops is suitable for dance.[12]
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