{"id":43,"date":"2015-03-18T23:16:27","date_gmt":"2015-03-18T23:16:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.candelalearning.com\/musicappreciation\/?post_type=chapter&#038;p=43"},"modified":"2015-08-26T22:10:42","modified_gmt":"2015-08-26T22:10:42","slug":"time-signature","status":"web-only","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-musicappreciationtheory\/chapter\/time-signature\/","title":{"raw":"Time Signature","rendered":"Time Signature"},"content":{"raw":"<h2>Introduction<\/h2>\r\nThe time signature (also known as meter signature,\u00a0metre signature,\u00a0or measure signature) is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats (pulses) are to be contained in each bar and which note value is to be given one beat. In a musical score, the time signature appears at the beginning of the piece, as a time symbol or stacked numerals, such as <img src=\"http:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/0\/01\/Commontime_inline.png\/11px-Commontime_inline.png\" alt=\"Commontime inline.png\" width=\"11\" height=\"15\" \/> or <span class=\"music-symbol\">3\/4<\/span> (read <i>common time<\/i> and <i>three four time<\/i>, respectively), immediately following the key signature or immediately following the clef symbol if the key signature is empty.\r\n<div class=\"thumbimage\">\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_47\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"251\"]<img class=\"wp-image-47 \" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images-archive-read-only\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/950\/2015\/03\/26002512\/34-time-signature.png\" alt=\"3:4 time signature\" width=\"251\" height=\"90\" \/> Simple example of a 3\/4 time signature: here there are three (3) quarter-notes (4) per measure.[\/caption]\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"thumbcaption\">\r\n\r\nTime signatures consist of two numerals, one stacked above the other:\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>The <i>lower<\/i> numeral indicates the note value that represents one beat (the <i>beat unit<\/i>).<\/li>\r\n\t<li>The <i>upper<\/i> numeral indicates how many such beats there are grouped together in a bar.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nFor instance, <span class=\"music-symbol\">2\/4<\/span> means two quarter-note (crotchet) beats per bar\u2014<span class=\"music-symbol\">3\/8<\/span> means three eighth-note (quaver) beats per bar.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\nThere are various types of time signatures, including: simple (such as <span class=\"music-symbol\">3\/4<\/span> or <span class=\"music-symbol\">4\/4<\/span>), compound (e.g., <span class=\"music-symbol\">9\/8<\/span> or <span class=\"music-symbol\">12\/8<\/span>), complex (e.g., <span class=\"music-symbol\">5\/4<\/span> or <span class=\"music-symbol\">7\/8<\/span>), mixed (e.g., <span class=\"music-symbol\">5\/8<\/span> &amp; <span class=\"music-symbol\">3\/8<\/span> or <span class=\"music-symbol\">6\/8<\/span> &amp; <span class=\"music-symbol\">3\/4<\/span>), additive (e.g., <span class=\"music-symbol\">3+2+3\/8<\/span>), fractional (e.g., <span class=\"music-symbol\">2\u00bd\/4<\/span>), and\u00a0irrational meters (e.g., <span class=\"music-symbol\">3\/10<\/span> or <span class=\"music-symbol\">5\/24<\/span>).\r\n<h2><span id=\"Simple_time_signatures\" class=\"mw-headline\">Simple Time Signatures<\/span><\/h2>\r\n<div class=\"thumb tright\">\r\n<div class=\"thumbinner\">\r\n<div class=\"thumbcaption\">\r\n\r\nBasic time signatures: <span class=\"music-symbol\">4\/4<\/span>, also known as common time (<img src=\"http:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/0\/01\/Commontime_inline.png\/11px-Commontime_inline.png\" alt=\"Commontime inline.png\" width=\"11\" height=\"15\" \/>); <span class=\"music-symbol\">2\/2<\/span>, also known as cut time or cut-common time (<span class=\"music-symbol\"><img src=\"http:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/9\/9b\/Allabreve.svg\/11px-Allabreve.svg.png\" alt=\"cut time\" width=\"11\" height=\"18\" \/><\/span>); plus <span class=\"music-symbol\">2\/4<\/span>; <span class=\"music-symbol\">3\/4<\/span>; and <span class=\"music-symbol\"><span class=\"music-symbol\">6\/8.<\/span><\/span>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_48\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"253\"]<img class=\" wp-image-48\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images-archive-read-only\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/950\/2015\/03\/26002512\/Common_time_signatures.gif\" alt=\"Common Time Signatures\" width=\"253\" height=\"87\" \/> Basic time signatures: 4\/4, also known as common time; 2\/2, also known as cut time or cut-common time (cut time); plus 2\/4; 3\/4; and 6\/8.[\/caption]\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\nThe most common simple time signatures are <span class=\"music-symbol\">2\/4<\/span>, <span class=\"music-symbol\">3\/4<\/span>, and <span class=\"music-symbol\">4\/4<\/span>.\r\n<h3><span id=\"Notational_variations_in_simple_time\" class=\"mw-headline\">Notational Variations in Simple Time<\/span><\/h3>\r\nThe symbol <img src=\"http:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/0\/01\/Commontime_inline.png\/11px-Commontime_inline.png\" alt=\"Commontime inline.png\" width=\"11\" height=\"15\" \/> is sometimes used for <span class=\"music-symbol\">4\/4<\/span> time, also called common time or imperfect time. The symbol is derived from a broken circle used in music notation from the 14th through 16th centuries, where a full circle represented what today would be written in <span class=\"music-symbol\">3\/2<\/span> or <span class=\"music-symbol\">3\/4<\/span> time, and was called <i>tempus perfectum<\/i> (perfect time).\u00a0The symbol <span class=\"music-symbol\"><img src=\"http:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/9\/9b\/Allabreve.svg\/11px-Allabreve.svg.png\" alt=\"cut time\" width=\"11\" height=\"18\" \/><\/span> is also a carry-over from the notational practice of late-Medieval and Renaissance music, where it signified <i>tempus imperfectum diminutum<\/i> (diminished imperfect time)\u2014more precisely, a doubling of the speed, or <i>proportio dupla<\/i>, in duple meter. In modern notation, it is used in place of <span class=\"music-symbol\">2 and\u00a0<\/span>is called <i>alla breve<\/i> or, colloquially, <i>cut time\u00a0<\/i>or <i>cut common time<\/i>.\r\n<h2><span id=\"Compound_time_signatures\" class=\"mw-headline\">Compound Time Signatures<\/span><\/h2>\r\nIn compound meter, subdivisions of the main beat (the upper number) split into three, not two, equal parts, so that a dotted note (half again longer than a regular note) becomes the beat unit. Compound time signatures are named as if they were simple time signatures, in which the one-third part of the beat unit is the beat, so the top number is commonly 6, 9 or 12 (multiples of 3). The lower number is most commonly an 8 (an eighth-note): as in <span class=\"music-symbol\">9\/8<\/span> or <span class=\"music-symbol\">12\/8<\/span>.\r\n<h3><span id=\"An_example\" class=\"mw-headline\">Example<\/span><\/h3>\r\n<span class=\"music-symbol\">3\/4<\/span> is a simple signature that represents three quarter notes. It has a basic feel of (<strong>Bold<\/strong> denotes a stressed beat):\r\n<p class=\"indent\"><strong>one<\/strong> <i>two<\/i> <i>three<\/i> (as in a waltz)<\/p>\r\nEach quarter note might comprise two eighth-notes (quavers) giving a total of six such notes, but it still retains that three-in-a-bar feel:\r\n<p class=\"indent\"><b>one<\/b> and <i>two<\/i> and <i>three<\/i> and<\/p>\r\n<span class=\"music-symbol\">6\/8<\/span>: Theoretically, this can be thought of as the same as the six-quaver form of <span class=\"music-symbol\">3\/4<\/span> above with the only difference being that the eighth note is selected as the one-beat unit. But whereas the six quavers in <span class=\"music-symbol\">3\/4<\/span> had been in three groups of two, <span class=\"music-symbol\">6\/8<\/span> is practically understood to mean that they are in two groups of three, with a two-in-a-bar feel (<b>Bold\u00a0<\/b>denotes a stressed beat):\r\n<p class=\"indent\"><b>one<\/b> and a, <b>two<\/b> and a<\/p>\r\nor\r\n<p class=\"indent\"><b>one<\/b> two three, <b>four<\/b> five six<\/p>\r\n\r\n<h2><span id=\"Beat_and_time\" class=\"mw-headline\">Beat and Time<\/span><\/h2>\r\nTime signatures indicating two beats per bar (whether they are\u00a0simple or compound) are called duple time; those with three beats to the bar are triple time. To the ear, a bar may seem like one singular beat. For example, a fast waltz, notated in <span class=\"music-symbol\">3\/4<\/span> time, may be described as being <i>one in a bar<\/i>. Terms such as <i>quadruple<\/i> (4), <i>quintuple<\/i> (5), and so on are also occasionally used.\r\n<h3><span id=\"Actual_beat_divisions\" class=\"mw-headline\">Actual Beat Divisions<\/span><\/h3>\r\nAs mentioned above, though the score indicates a <span class=\"music-symbol\">3\/4<\/span> time, the actual beat division can be the whole bar, particularly at faster tempos. Correspondingly, at slow tempos the beat indicated by the time signature could in actual performance be divided into smaller units.\r\n<h3><span id=\"Interchangeability.2C_rewriting_meters\" class=\"mw-headline\">Interchangeability, Rewriting Meters<\/span><\/h3>\r\nOn a formal mathematical level, the time signatures of, for example, <span class=\"music-symbol\">3\/4<\/span> and <span class=\"music-symbol\">3\/8<\/span> are interchangeable.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_49\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"252\"]<a href=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images-archive-read-only\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/950\/2015\/03\/26002513\/3-4_equals_3-8_drum_pattern.png\"><img class=\" wp-image-49\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images-archive-read-only\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/950\/2015\/03\/26002513\/3-4_equals_3-8_drum_pattern-300x94.png\" alt=\"3\/4 equals 3\/8\" width=\"252\" height=\"79\" \/><\/a> 3\/4 equals 3\/8 time at a different tempo[\/caption]\r\n\r\nIn a sense, <i>all\u00a0<\/i>simple triple time signatures, such as <span class=\"music-symbol\">3\/8<\/span>, <span class=\"music-symbol\">3\/4<\/span>, <span class=\"music-symbol\">3\/2<\/span>, etc.\u2014and all compound duple times, such as <span class=\"music-symbol\">6\/8<\/span>, <span class=\"music-symbol\">6\/16<\/span> and so on, are equivalent. A piece in <span class=\"music-symbol\">3\/4<\/span> can be easily rewritten in <span class=\"music-symbol\">3\/8<\/span>, simply by halving the length of the notes. Other time signature rewritings are possible: most commonly a simple time signature with triplets translates into a compound meter.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_50\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"253\"]<a href=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images-archive-read-only\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/950\/2015\/03\/26002515\/12-8_equals_4-4_drum_pattern.png\"><img class=\" wp-image-50\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images-archive-read-only\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/950\/2015\/03\/26002515\/12-8_equals_4-4_drum_pattern-300x57.png\" alt=\"12\/8 equals 4\/4 time\" width=\"253\" height=\"48\" \/><\/a> 12\/8 equals 4\/4 time at a different tempo and requires the use of tuplets[\/caption]\r\n\r\nThough formally interchangeable, for a composer or performing musician, different time signatures often have different connotations. First, a smaller note value in the beat unit implies a more complex notation, which can affect ease of performance. Second, beaming affects the choice of actual beat divisions. It is, for example, more natural to use the quarter note\/crotchet as a beat unit in <span class=\"music-symbol\">6\/4<\/span> or <span class=\"music-symbol\">2\/2<\/span> than the eight\/quaver in <span class=\"music-symbol\">6\/8<\/span> or <span class=\"music-symbol\">2\/4<\/span>. Third, time signatures are traditionally associated with different music styles\u2014it might seem strange to notate a rock tune in <span class=\"music-symbol\">4\/8<\/span> or <span class=\"music-symbol\">4\/2<\/span>.\r\n<h3><span id=\"Stress_and_meter\" class=\"mw-headline\">Stress and Meter<\/span><\/h3>\r\nFor all meters, the first beat (the downbeat, ignoring any anacrusis) is usually stressed (though not always, for example in reggae where the offbeats are stressed); in time signatures with four groups in the bar (such as <span class=\"music-symbol\">4\/4<\/span> and <span class=\"music-symbol\">12\/8<\/span>), the third beat is often also stressed, though to a lesser degree. This gives a regular pattern of stressed and unstressed beats, though notes on stressed beats are not necessarily louder or more important.\r\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\r\n<h3>Listen: Steady Beat<\/h3>\r\nSteady beat\u2014the pulse of music.\u00a0Tap to the steady beat while listening to\u00a0the following excerpts. \u00a0You will notice that some beats\u00a0are stronger and some are less emphasized.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http:\/\/magnatune.com\/artists\/albums\/lara-bach\/\">Lara St. John: Bach Violin Concertos<\/a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http:\/\/magnatune.com\/artists\/albums\/streicher-klaviertrios\/\">Streicher Trio: Mozart Klavier Trios<\/a>\r\n\r\n<\/div>","rendered":"<h2>Introduction<\/h2>\n<p>The time signature (also known as meter signature,\u00a0metre signature,\u00a0or measure signature) is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats (pulses) are to be contained in each bar and which note value is to be given one beat. In a musical score, the time signature appears at the beginning of the piece, as a time symbol or stacked numerals, such as <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/0\/01\/Commontime_inline.png\/11px-Commontime_inline.png\" alt=\"Commontime inline.png\" width=\"11\" height=\"15\" \/> or <span class=\"music-symbol\">3\/4<\/span> (read <i>common time<\/i> and <i>three four time<\/i>, respectively), immediately following the key signature or immediately following the clef symbol if the key signature is empty.<\/p>\n<div class=\"thumbimage\">\n<div id=\"attachment_47\" style=\"width: 261px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-47\" class=\"wp-image-47\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images-archive-read-only\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/950\/2015\/03\/26002512\/34-time-signature.png\" alt=\"3:4 time signature\" width=\"251\" height=\"90\" \/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-47\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Simple example of a 3\/4 time signature: here there are three (3) quarter-notes (4) per measure.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"thumbcaption\">\n<p>Time signatures consist of two numerals, one stacked above the other:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The <i>lower<\/i> numeral indicates the note value that represents one beat (the <i>beat unit<\/i>).<\/li>\n<li>The <i>upper<\/i> numeral indicates how many such beats there are grouped together in a bar.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>For instance, <span class=\"music-symbol\">2\/4<\/span> means two quarter-note (crotchet) beats per bar\u2014<span class=\"music-symbol\">3\/8<\/span> means three eighth-note (quaver) beats per bar.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>There are various types of time signatures, including: simple (such as <span class=\"music-symbol\">3\/4<\/span> or <span class=\"music-symbol\">4\/4<\/span>), compound (e.g., <span class=\"music-symbol\">9\/8<\/span> or <span class=\"music-symbol\">12\/8<\/span>), complex (e.g., <span class=\"music-symbol\">5\/4<\/span> or <span class=\"music-symbol\">7\/8<\/span>), mixed (e.g., <span class=\"music-symbol\">5\/8<\/span> &amp; <span class=\"music-symbol\">3\/8<\/span> or <span class=\"music-symbol\">6\/8<\/span> &amp; <span class=\"music-symbol\">3\/4<\/span>), additive (e.g., <span class=\"music-symbol\">3+2+3\/8<\/span>), fractional (e.g., <span class=\"music-symbol\">2\u00bd\/4<\/span>), and\u00a0irrational meters (e.g., <span class=\"music-symbol\">3\/10<\/span> or <span class=\"music-symbol\">5\/24<\/span>).<\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"Simple_time_signatures\" class=\"mw-headline\">Simple Time Signatures<\/span><\/h2>\n<div class=\"thumb tright\">\n<div class=\"thumbinner\">\n<div class=\"thumbcaption\">\n<p>Basic time signatures: <span class=\"music-symbol\">4\/4<\/span>, also known as common time (<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/0\/01\/Commontime_inline.png\/11px-Commontime_inline.png\" alt=\"Commontime inline.png\" width=\"11\" height=\"15\" \/>); <span class=\"music-symbol\">2\/2<\/span>, also known as cut time or cut-common time (<span class=\"music-symbol\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/9\/9b\/Allabreve.svg\/11px-Allabreve.svg.png\" alt=\"cut time\" width=\"11\" height=\"18\" \/><\/span>); plus <span class=\"music-symbol\">2\/4<\/span>; <span class=\"music-symbol\">3\/4<\/span>; and <span class=\"music-symbol\"><span class=\"music-symbol\">6\/8.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_48\" style=\"width: 263px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-48\" class=\"wp-image-48\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images-archive-read-only\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/950\/2015\/03\/26002512\/Common_time_signatures.gif\" alt=\"Common Time Signatures\" width=\"253\" height=\"87\" \/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-48\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Basic time signatures: 4\/4, also known as common time; 2\/2, also known as cut time or cut-common time (cut time); plus 2\/4; 3\/4; and 6\/8.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The most common simple time signatures are <span class=\"music-symbol\">2\/4<\/span>, <span class=\"music-symbol\">3\/4<\/span>, and <span class=\"music-symbol\">4\/4<\/span>.<\/p>\n<h3><span id=\"Notational_variations_in_simple_time\" class=\"mw-headline\">Notational Variations in Simple Time<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The symbol <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/0\/01\/Commontime_inline.png\/11px-Commontime_inline.png\" alt=\"Commontime inline.png\" width=\"11\" height=\"15\" \/> is sometimes used for <span class=\"music-symbol\">4\/4<\/span> time, also called common time or imperfect time. The symbol is derived from a broken circle used in music notation from the 14th through 16th centuries, where a full circle represented what today would be written in <span class=\"music-symbol\">3\/2<\/span> or <span class=\"music-symbol\">3\/4<\/span> time, and was called <i>tempus perfectum<\/i> (perfect time).\u00a0The symbol <span class=\"music-symbol\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/9\/9b\/Allabreve.svg\/11px-Allabreve.svg.png\" alt=\"cut time\" width=\"11\" height=\"18\" \/><\/span> is also a carry-over from the notational practice of late-Medieval and Renaissance music, where it signified <i>tempus imperfectum diminutum<\/i> (diminished imperfect time)\u2014more precisely, a doubling of the speed, or <i>proportio dupla<\/i>, in duple meter. In modern notation, it is used in place of <span class=\"music-symbol\">2 and\u00a0<\/span>is called <i>alla breve<\/i> or, colloquially, <i>cut time\u00a0<\/i>or <i>cut common time<\/i>.<\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"Compound_time_signatures\" class=\"mw-headline\">Compound Time Signatures<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>In compound meter, subdivisions of the main beat (the upper number) split into three, not two, equal parts, so that a dotted note (half again longer than a regular note) becomes the beat unit. Compound time signatures are named as if they were simple time signatures, in which the one-third part of the beat unit is the beat, so the top number is commonly 6, 9 or 12 (multiples of 3). The lower number is most commonly an 8 (an eighth-note): as in <span class=\"music-symbol\">9\/8<\/span> or <span class=\"music-symbol\">12\/8<\/span>.<\/p>\n<h3><span id=\"An_example\" class=\"mw-headline\">Example<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span class=\"music-symbol\">3\/4<\/span> is a simple signature that represents three quarter notes. It has a basic feel of (<strong>Bold<\/strong> denotes a stressed beat):<\/p>\n<p class=\"indent\"><strong>one<\/strong> <i>two<\/i> <i>three<\/i> (as in a waltz)<\/p>\n<p>Each quarter note might comprise two eighth-notes (quavers) giving a total of six such notes, but it still retains that three-in-a-bar feel:<\/p>\n<p class=\"indent\"><b>one<\/b> and <i>two<\/i> and <i>three<\/i> and<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"music-symbol\">6\/8<\/span>: Theoretically, this can be thought of as the same as the six-quaver form of <span class=\"music-symbol\">3\/4<\/span> above with the only difference being that the eighth note is selected as the one-beat unit. But whereas the six quavers in <span class=\"music-symbol\">3\/4<\/span> had been in three groups of two, <span class=\"music-symbol\">6\/8<\/span> is practically understood to mean that they are in two groups of three, with a two-in-a-bar feel (<b>Bold\u00a0<\/b>denotes a stressed beat):<\/p>\n<p class=\"indent\"><b>one<\/b> and a, <b>two<\/b> and a<\/p>\n<p>or<\/p>\n<p class=\"indent\"><b>one<\/b> two three, <b>four<\/b> five six<\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"Beat_and_time\" class=\"mw-headline\">Beat and Time<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Time signatures indicating two beats per bar (whether they are\u00a0simple or compound) are called duple time; those with three beats to the bar are triple time. To the ear, a bar may seem like one singular beat. For example, a fast waltz, notated in <span class=\"music-symbol\">3\/4<\/span> time, may be described as being <i>one in a bar<\/i>. Terms such as <i>quadruple<\/i> (4), <i>quintuple<\/i> (5), and so on are also occasionally used.<\/p>\n<h3><span id=\"Actual_beat_divisions\" class=\"mw-headline\">Actual Beat Divisions<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>As mentioned above, though the score indicates a <span class=\"music-symbol\">3\/4<\/span> time, the actual beat division can be the whole bar, particularly at faster tempos. Correspondingly, at slow tempos the beat indicated by the time signature could in actual performance be divided into smaller units.<\/p>\n<h3><span id=\"Interchangeability.2C_rewriting_meters\" class=\"mw-headline\">Interchangeability, Rewriting Meters<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>On a formal mathematical level, the time signatures of, for example, <span class=\"music-symbol\">3\/4<\/span> and <span class=\"music-symbol\">3\/8<\/span> are interchangeable.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_49\" style=\"width: 262px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images-archive-read-only\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/950\/2015\/03\/26002513\/3-4_equals_3-8_drum_pattern.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-49\" class=\"wp-image-49\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images-archive-read-only\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/950\/2015\/03\/26002513\/3-4_equals_3-8_drum_pattern-300x94.png\" alt=\"3\/4 equals 3\/8\" width=\"252\" height=\"79\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-49\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">3\/4 equals 3\/8 time at a different tempo<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>In a sense, <i>all\u00a0<\/i>simple triple time signatures, such as <span class=\"music-symbol\">3\/8<\/span>, <span class=\"music-symbol\">3\/4<\/span>, <span class=\"music-symbol\">3\/2<\/span>, etc.\u2014and all compound duple times, such as <span class=\"music-symbol\">6\/8<\/span>, <span class=\"music-symbol\">6\/16<\/span> and so on, are equivalent. A piece in <span class=\"music-symbol\">3\/4<\/span> can be easily rewritten in <span class=\"music-symbol\">3\/8<\/span>, simply by halving the length of the notes. Other time signature rewritings are possible: most commonly a simple time signature with triplets translates into a compound meter.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_50\" style=\"width: 263px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images-archive-read-only\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/950\/2015\/03\/26002515\/12-8_equals_4-4_drum_pattern.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-50\" class=\"wp-image-50\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images-archive-read-only\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/950\/2015\/03\/26002515\/12-8_equals_4-4_drum_pattern-300x57.png\" alt=\"12\/8 equals 4\/4 time\" width=\"253\" height=\"48\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-50\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">12\/8 equals 4\/4 time at a different tempo and requires the use of tuplets<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Though formally interchangeable, for a composer or performing musician, different time signatures often have different connotations. First, a smaller note value in the beat unit implies a more complex notation, which can affect ease of performance. Second, beaming affects the choice of actual beat divisions. It is, for example, more natural to use the quarter note\/crotchet as a beat unit in <span class=\"music-symbol\">6\/4<\/span> or <span class=\"music-symbol\">2\/2<\/span> than the eight\/quaver in <span class=\"music-symbol\">6\/8<\/span> or <span class=\"music-symbol\">2\/4<\/span>. Third, time signatures are traditionally associated with different music styles\u2014it might seem strange to notate a rock tune in <span class=\"music-symbol\">4\/8<\/span> or <span class=\"music-symbol\">4\/2<\/span>.<\/p>\n<h3><span id=\"Stress_and_meter\" class=\"mw-headline\">Stress and Meter<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>For all meters, the first beat (the downbeat, ignoring any anacrusis) is usually stressed (though not always, for example in reggae where the offbeats are stressed); in time signatures with four groups in the bar (such as <span class=\"music-symbol\">4\/4<\/span> and <span class=\"music-symbol\">12\/8<\/span>), the third beat is often also stressed, though to a lesser degree. This gives a regular pattern of stressed and unstressed beats, though notes on stressed beats are not necessarily louder or more important.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\n<h3>Listen: Steady Beat<\/h3>\n<p>Steady beat\u2014the pulse of music.\u00a0Tap to the steady beat while listening to\u00a0the following excerpts. \u00a0You will notice that some beats\u00a0are stronger and some are less emphasized.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/magnatune.com\/artists\/albums\/lara-bach\/\">Lara St. John: Bach Violin Concertos<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/magnatune.com\/artists\/albums\/streicher-klaviertrios\/\">Streicher Trio: Mozart Klavier Trios<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t <section class=\"citations-section\" role=\"contentinfo\">\n\t\t\t <h3>Candela Citations<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t <div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <div id=\"citation-list-43\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <div class=\"licensing\"><div class=\"license-attribution-dropdown-subheading\">CC licensed content, Shared previously<\/div><ul class=\"citation-list\"><li>Time Signature. <strong>Provided by<\/strong>: Wikipedia. <strong>Located at<\/strong>: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Time_signature\">http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Time_signature<\/a>. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0\/\">CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike<\/a><\/em><\/li><li>Image of 3 4 equals 3 8 time. <strong>Authored by<\/strong>: Hyacinth. <strong>Located at<\/strong>: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Time_signature#\/media\/File:3-4_equals_3-8_drum_pattern.png\">http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Time_signature#\/media\/File:3-4_equals_3-8_drum_pattern.png<\/a>. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0\/\">CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike<\/a><\/em><\/li><li>Image of 12\/8 equals 4\/4. <strong>Authored by<\/strong>: Hyacinth. <strong>Located at<\/strong>: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Time_signature#\/media\/File:12-8_equals_4-4_drum_pattern.png\">http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Time_signature#\/media\/File:12-8_equals_4-4_drum_pattern.png<\/a>. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0\/\">CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike<\/a><\/em><\/li><\/ul><div class=\"license-attribution-dropdown-subheading\">Public domain content<\/div><ul class=\"citation-list\"><li>Image of Common Time Signatures. <strong>Authored by<\/strong>: A1. <strong>Located at<\/strong>: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Time_signature#\/media\/File:Common_time_signatures.gif\">http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Time_signature#\/media\/File:Common_time_signatures.gif<\/a>. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/about\/pdm\">Public Domain: No Known Copyright<\/a><\/em><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t <\/section>","protected":false},"author":277,"menu_order":2,"template":"","meta":{"_candela_citation":"[{\"type\":\"cc\",\"description\":\"Time Signature\",\"author\":\"\",\"organization\":\"Wikipedia\",\"url\":\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Time_signature\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc-by-sa\",\"license_terms\":\"\"},{\"type\":\"pd\",\"description\":\"Image of Common Time Signatures\",\"author\":\"A1\",\"organization\":\"\",\"url\":\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Time_signature#\/media\/File:Common_time_signatures.gif\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"pd\",\"license_terms\":\"\"},{\"type\":\"cc\",\"description\":\"Image of 3 4 equals 3 8 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