Questions tagged [time-signatures]
Numeric ratio indicating the subdivision of measures according to groups of beats.
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Are there any songs that rotate between several time signatures? [closed]
Last night I was brushing up on my time signature knowledge and got to thinking on songs I know with alternate time signatures. A few examples are:
The Glass Prison by Dream Theater
4/4, 5/4, and I ...
9
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5answers
691 views
What made 4/4 time the most common time signature?
Most music is written in 4/4 time, and in today’s world it seems to be the accepted norm. Now, that doesn’t mean mainstream music doesn’t use alternate meters, but it’s just less common than I ...
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3answers
137 views
How do different time signatures change how a song sounds?
I know that time signatures change how a song sound, but I don't know the rule, or how it does that. If a song is in 4/4 and it got changed into 6/8, I don't know how it would sound, or how much it ...
4
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1answer
209 views
What is the difference between 2/4 and 4/4 when it comes the accented beats?
What is the difference between 2/4 and 4/4 when it comes the accented beats?
I have been taught that 2/4 is popular in faster music like polka. I also see some hymns written in both 4/4 and 2/4. 4/4 ...
7
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3answers
82 views
Placing the downbeats in this five-bar passage in Bach's Italian Concerto
I am asking about bars 13-19 in the first movement of J.S. Bach's Italian Concerto (BWV 971; sheet music). My ear always hears bar 13 plus the first crotchet of 14 as one extended bar of 3/4 and then ...
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3answers
1k views
Time signature inconsistent
I'm trying to write the first measure of the Moonlight in Lilypond
From my very basic knowledge the first measure is 4 x 3 x 1/8 = 3/2 long, but the special symbol (alla breve) seams to be a 2/2.
...
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3answers
90 views
What is the difference between 3/2 and 3/4 time signature [duplicate]
I am confused between these two time signatures. What is the difference really. I can listen to a hymn in 3/2 time and i can see how easily I can replace the halves with quarters and the quarters with ...
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7answers
4k views
Is it true that cut time means “play twice as fast as written”?
I was just reading an e-book and saw this sentence which really confused me:
"Played twice as fast as written" - This isn't what cut time actually means right, or are there situations where cut time ...
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1answer
132 views
From whom did The Beatles steal the extra beat in “Don't Let Me Down?”
It's well known that The Beatles made good use of every existing musical idiom in their work, a side-effect of talent borne from constant live performance. In this case, I'm curious if anyone can ...
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3answers
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BWV 825 Bach Partita: how do you play this Gigue?
coming from answering the question:
How do I determine the time signature of a song?
I ask you to give some answers for beginners:
-how do you play the first bar? what time is this? 4/4? (we count ...
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3answers
104 views
How do I determine the time signature of a song? [duplicate]
I'm having some trouble with my music homework. I'm trying to figure out what time signature some of the pieces would be in
I was able to do two of the questions (though I'm not sure of the answer ...
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4answers
718 views
Fit odd number of triplets in a measure?
I'm trying to pass a melody from my head to the sheet and it consists of 29 eighth-note-triplets but I can't figure out how to break them into measures.
If I start with 4/4, I can fit 2 measures of ...
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1answer
72 views
What is it called when 2/2 is imposed in 3/4?
What is the name in music theory for when the feel of 2/2 is imposed in 3/4 time? For example in Waltz No. 2 by Shoshtakovich (i think its that one) there is a section about midway through where its 3/...
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0answers
32 views
Determining time-signatures by listening [duplicate]
I make a triange in the air (with sound of pine-app-le) for 3/4, and square (sounds like hop-scotch), but 6/8 hexagon is less accurate (no sound known), any ideas for it? 9/8 and other unsual ones are ...
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4answers
3k views
How to notate time signature switching consistently every measure
It seems my musical journey's always pushing me into left field territory when it comes to notation ... So this time I'd like to know what would be a good way to notate a consistent switching of time ...
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5answers
194 views
Does this song have a tempo or time signature?
Does this song have a tempo or time signature ?
How do you write and play this kind of music ?
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1answer
80 views
What is the name of the practice of rhythm being written as series of 2's and 3's?
I remember some time ago learning about traditional Irish music and how a lot of the music wasn't written with our modern time signature structure, but was instead written as a series of 2 beat / 3 ...
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2answers
398 views
Irrational meter - why the mark of a triplet in 4 half notes
Can someone please explain to me why the mark of a triplet in this 4 half notes? I understood how to play it but from what i read you can only write triplets on 3 notes like 3 eighths 3 quarters etc......
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1answer
517 views
What's the meaning of this extra rest? [duplicate]
This is the first bar of F. W. Mecham Op 92 - American Patrol
Semiquaver triplet + quaver + quaver rest + quarter rest
1/8 + 1/8 + 1/8 + 1/4 = 2/4 + 1/8
...
2
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1answer
167 views
2/4 vs 4/4 time signature in Dixieland Jazz
I'm teaching on the IB Music Diploma Programme and am looking at an examiner's markscheme for a question about the Dixieland jazz piece "Tiger Rag" (similar to this version:
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What time signature is this song in? [closed]
The song is "The Mute" by Radical Face
Here's a link:
I seriously can't figure out the time signature. Sometimes 3/4 works, sometime 4/4 sounds right, but the most ...
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1answer
43 views
how to get the time signature of my own songs [duplicate]
Lately I've been writing my own songs on guitar.i think most of them are in 4/4 time signature but i'm not pretty sure.
how can i figure out the time signature of my songs?
is there any way to get ...
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6answers
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How many beats are in 6/8 time?
In 6/8 time, each measure contains six eighth notes. We are often told that therefore there are six beats in 6/8 time.
But when my band plays a piece in 6/8, the conductor counts in two. Also, the ...
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1answer
100 views
Notes value surpass the time signature of 4/4
I'm playing on an acoustic guitar.
I've just started learning notes notation and I can't understand how this should be played, as the value of notes seems to be larger than the 4/4 rhythm.
From what ...
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1answer
109 views
I don't understand why multiple time signatures for the same theme
I just went to see "Beauty and the Beast" with a live orchestra. The movie was played on a screen with the orchestra performing the soundtrack.
I was sitting in a place where I could see the control ...
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4answers
4k views
Why use odd time signatures?
I'm a beginner guitar player, and I'm trying to pick up some of the music theory behind the instrument, and one thing that I've sort of grasped is odd time signatures.
I know what they are, and I can ...
3
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4answers
242 views
How does an apparent 4/4 arise from 2 totally unrelated time signatures?
So I have been listening to Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition and I notice something that is unusual to me in his promenades. It has a 4/4 feel but it isn't written in 4/4 at all, instead it is ...
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3answers
887 views
BPM and Time Signature [duplicate]
I just recently learned about time signatures and the beat and I need to clearly understand the relations of these things, as for now I don't seem to do it. Please correct my thoughts on the following ...
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2answers
75 views
Help understanding subdivisions of beats in a bar [closed]
Why can two consecutive beats be subdivided into "subbeats"?
If a rhythm consists of four beats in a bar, and those beats are subdivided into two "subbeats", can we call it a 8/4 time signature ?
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1answer
48 views
Timing of this slap guitar piece, is it right or wrong?
Several comments for this video remark that it is not in time. What do they mean? I can count a 4/4 beat to her playing, and for me it seems fine. So can someone point to me what is not in time here? (...
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2answers
326 views
Understanding Time Signature: How do I identify the time signature of a song?
I have played music for years and I still don't understand what a time signature actually signifies.
I understand it from a superficial sense. If given sheet music I could tell you what time ...
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0answers
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Can Someone explain time signatures? [duplicate]
What is mean by 3/4, 6/8, 4/4 etc.?
Some times T get confuse about how to choose time signature in DAW.
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1answer
53 views
Does lilypond have the ability to typeset bars in free or open time?
I'm using lilypond to arrange a new part for concert band by combining/picking and choosing from a couple of different parts that need to be covered, but we don't have instruments for on the ...
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1answer
78 views
Is this 4/4 or 6/8? [closed]
I never was much good at working this sort of thing out. Hopefully, a real musician can tell me. Thanks in advance. Please listen here.
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1answer
204 views
The time-signature of Jive [closed]
Why has jive a measure of ⁴/₄ and not one of ⁶/₄?
If you dance a jive to a ⁴/₄ song, you don't always begin with the main beat. However, if you dance it to a ⁶/₄ song, you always begin with the main ...
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3answers
96 views
How do you count this?
This piece is in common time (4 4), but I'm having difficulty counting it.
I think the whole lower staff (all the note groups) should have the triplet mark but it doesn't (is this an error of the ...
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3answers
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How to rewrite this rhythm from common time to 12/8 time?
How might one go about rewriting the following rhythm into a time signature of 12/8? I initially figured we could just notate each set of beamed eighth-notes with 4:6 above them to indicate that four ...
2
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1answer
112 views
How do I read 3/4 signature with “multiple instruments”
The following signature is a 3/4 but has notes that sum up to more than 3 quarter notes.
After researching a while, I found out Time signature 3/4 seems to have more than 3 quarter notes in a measure ...
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1answer
435 views
Is dotted quarter note = 144 equivalent to quarter note = 96?
I have a piece to read that gives the tempo of dotted quarter = 144. Does that mean it's at a quarter note = 96? The piece has a time signature of 12/8, and I'm guessing each eighth note is played at ...
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2answers
102 views
Does anyone know if this is notated properly, or how to properly notate this rhythm?
I wrote this little melody/riff here:
And while it sounds correct, I'm not sure if it's notated properly, with the correct time signatures and all. Could both the first 3/4 bars and the 2/4 bar be ...
0
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1answer
37 views
Keeping time in a bell choir
How do I keep time when I don’t play all the notes (bell choir). I’m a beginner and have never played an instrument. Thank you.
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1answer
100 views
What’s going on with the rhythm in the first half of Spiral Staircase by Luke Vibert
I assume this is some sort of polyrhythm but my brain refuses to be able to count it. Can someone shed some light on whats going on?
The song in question:
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3answers
514 views
Metric accents in time signature
In my Tonal Harmony book by Kostka and Payne, it says: when rhythms are notated, it is customary to use beams,ties and dots in such a way that the metric accent is emphasized rather than obscured.
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1answer
171 views
Why go back and forth between 2 time signatures if they have the same feel?
I don't see this very often but I do see it in 1 of Chopin's nocturnes. In particular his F major nocturne op. 15 no. 1
It switches back and forth measure by measure between 3/4 and 9/8, well at ...
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4answers
273 views
Can the rhythm of any music with a consistent pulse be represented through a time signature?
I tried this with a lot of world music (I myself am an Indian) and majority of it, that followed a consistent pulse or a well timed rhythm, could be expressed neatly using time signatures.
Can this ...
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4answers
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Time signatures and verse
Recently I challenged myself to set a piece of religious text to music for SATB.
However, I encountered timing issues caused by irregular numbers of syllables in verses, and when to break off phrases. ...
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4answers
582 views
Writing in 6/8 time for piano
I'm taking a beginner online piano class. When writing a song in 6/8 time for the piano, do all the notes in each measure both in the treble clef and bass clef have to add up to 6 beats and use eighth ...
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4answers
875 views
4/4 corresponds to 12/8 but 4/4 =/= 12/8
How is it possible that a 4/4 signature corresponds to a 12/8 signature ? 4/4 is equal to 1 and 12/8 is more than 1 .
If i try to divide a 1/4 in 3 notes i get 1/12, not 1/8 as the 12/8 should be.
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3answers
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What is this old time signature (2 with a vertical line through it)?
On the fourth line of page 5 of the score of Fasch's Ouverture-Suite in F major, one reads a time signature that is the number 2 with a vertical line through it:
What does it mean? I know some '...
