Time signatures

Time signatures

Intro to online theory for adults

Think of time and what it is

• ..........

• ? ........ ?

• Music is a performance art that exists in time (.....? .........?) and carving up units of time is the bedrock of the art form, like in dance and theatre

• Rhythm is longs and shorts of sound and silence placed upon a steady beat that exists in time (.....? .........?)

• Maintaining a steady pulse is paramount

• Understanding how rhythm fits onto that pulse is the first objective

• Therefore we are going to work on time signatures and note values first

Think of time signatures and barlines in the following ways:

• barlines are like mileposts, or lifts or buses licensed to carry a certain number of beats

• time signatures split the distance between each post into regular patterns

• barlines simply mark where the next 'unit of measurement' begins

• it's helpful to think of music as architecture in motion, as if lego has melted and is flowing like lava.

Time signatures

• to understand time signatures - the number of beats in every bar - you need to understand note values

• in Australia, we use the British system, but the continental European system fits much better with understanding time signatures

The note pyramid

Academic names for metre:

• anything with 4 on the top is quadruple

• anything with 3 on the top is triple

• anything with 2 on the top is duple

When the top numbers of 2, 3 and 4 sit over a bottom number, we refer to it as simple

• 2/4, 2/2 = simple dulpe

• 3/4, 3/8 = simple triple

• 4/4, 4/16 = simple quadruple

Multiple Choice

4/8 time is

• simple quadruple

• simple triple

• simple duple

Multiple Choice

3/16 time is

• simple triple

• simple duple

• simple quadruple

Multiple Choice

2/4 time is

• simple duple

• simple triple

• simple quadruple

Multiple Choice

4/4 time is

• simple quadruple

• simple triple

• simple duple

Multiple Choice

2/2 time is

• simple duple

• simple triple

• simple quadruple

Multiple Choice

3/4 time is

• simple triple

• simple duple

• simple quadruple