Understanding Time Signatures

What does this time signature mean?

• Three beats per bar

• Three quarters of a beat

• Three fourths

• Three crotchet beats per bar

What is a time signature? (Select all that apply)

• A symbol at the start of a score (music sheet) that tells us how to count.

• A direction at the start of a piece of music that tells us how fast to play.

• A pair of numbers that tells us the total number of beats in each bar.

• A pair of numbers at the start of a piece of music. Expressed as a fraction, it tells us how many beats each bar contains, and what type of beats they are.

What is the time signature of this bar?

• 4/4

• 6/8

• 3/4

• 2/4

What is the time signature of this bar?

• 10/8

• 6/4

• 4/4

• 5/4

This time signature tells us that there are (a)   in a bar.

What does the top number tell us?

• There are six beats in each bar.

• Each bar is six seconds long.

• We have to split each beat into six parts.

• Each bar is worth one and a half beats.

What does the bottom number tell us? (select all that apply)

• We are counting quarter notes per bar

• There are 4 beats in each bar

• We are counting crotchets per bar

• A crotchet is worth one beat

What does this time signature tell us?

• There are nine beats per bar.

• There are nine eighths.

• There are nine crotchet beats per bar.

• There are nine quaver beats per bar.

Which of the following are time signatures? (Select all that apply)

• 4/4

• 5/8

• 3/3

• 6/4

• 3/2

What is the time signature of this bar?

• 5/4

• 3/4

• 8/8

• 4/4