Music: Practice & Theory

Questions tagged [time-signatures]

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Numeric ratio indicating the subdivision of measures according to groups of beats.

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7answers
179 views

How does one know the implied difference in time signatures? [duplicate]

I have always been told that the difference between 3/4 time and 6/8 time is that 6/8 time has two beats per measure and 3/4 has three beats per measure. However, other than people telling me this, I ...
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1answer
361 views

What is this “CC” (double common-time) time signature called?

From Brahms Fugue in A-flat minor, WoO 8: The file name is "Double Common Time" JPEG but only because that's the only thing I can figure out to call it. Bonus question: Can this time ...
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6answers
990 views

How does the bottom number of the time signature affect counting?

I have learnt all the complicated mathematics subjects in my school, but that bottom number, I can't understand. Ok, the notation will be different, and it will say what kind of note gets the beat, ...
2
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1answer
139 views

Time signature issue in MuseScore

How to add only one rest or note at the starting of the piece against the time signature without changing it in musescore?
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3answers
812 views

Making Sense of 5/4 Time Signature

I'm doing a composition with time signatures that alternate between 3/4 and 2/4. At first, the meter is a steady 2/4, before suddenly switching to 3/4. From that point on, the piece alternates between ...
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5answers
160 views

How can I represent this quarter note triplet based section in a time signature, so I can have it sync with a metronome?

I have a song that starts with a time signature of 3/4 in 110 bpm. Then there's a quarter note triplet based section that goes like this: 123 123 123 123 123 1 | 123 123 123 123 123 1 | etc where 123 ...
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1answer
73 views

Converting BPM From 12/8 [duplicate]

I have a new piece of music, and it has a part where it is 12/8 with dotted quarter notes being at 128 bpm. I was wondering what the quarter note tempo would be. And one last thing would it be ...
4
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5answers
670 views

Time Signature Calculation

How to determine the time signature? I already got this question wrong from my quiz, and I'm studying for the final for this music theory class. I understand there are 5 quarters notes 1 half note 10 ...
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0answers
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How these measures have more note values than mentioned in the time signature [duplicate]

I'm trying to play this piece of music where the time signature is 4-4 but it seems that the measures have more note values. How is this possible? Can someone please explain? I have attached a photo ...
3
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2answers
159 views

How to differentiate between time signatures x/y and mx/ny?

Looking at the abundant questions already available on Music Stack Exchange, I am aware this is a very commonly asked question in the forum. However, I still struggle to aurally identify the time ...
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1answer
56 views

Trying to solve a Time Signature exercise? [closed]

This concerns an exercise I am working on trying to establish time signature for one measure. This measure has the following notes ... one 8th note, one 16th note, and one quarter note in that order. ...
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2answers
428 views

Why triplets for whole movement rather than writing it in say 6/8?

I just came across the score for Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata, and I was surprised when I saw the time signature of the first movement. (My background is that I've played music for many years—mainly ...
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5answers
209 views

How to figure out the length (time in ms) of a bar from bpm and time signature? [duplicate]

I have seen a bunch of similar questions on the site, but I'm going to ask more directly. I know a songs: tempo - X bpm - (eg.:120). time signature - Y/Z - (eg.: 4/4). I'd like to know the formula ...
2
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1answer
94 views

Time signatures and values exceeding the bar?

I'm looking at a modern edition (1984)1 of Van Eyck's Der Fluyten Lusthof (a XVI century collection of old songs with variations for recorder flute that's been and still is the bread and butter of ...
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6answers
404 views

Why is 3/4 called “simple triple” if we can divided the beats by more than 2?

As I understand it, the terms duple, triple, quadruple, etc refer to the number of beats in the measure. So if my measure is divided into 3 beats, then I'd be in triple meter. For example, X: 1 M: 3/4 ...
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2answers
111 views

What note is this and How many counts does this note get in 2/4 time?

What note is this and how many counts does this note get in 2/4 time? How do you count this rhythm?
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5answers
160 views

Is there a rule for the different sounds of time signatures X/2, X/4, X/8 etc not just defined on a case-by-case basis?

The other day I saw this question here: I don't understand the bottom number in a time signature I got really excited, as this has been bugging me for many years now. I started reading the answers,...
5
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3answers
180 views

How to write complex time signature that would be confused for compound (triplet) time?

This question was sparked by many answers and comments on the site which describe 6/4 as a compound meter of 2 groups of dotted half notes (1 & a 2 & a), rather than the way I've always ...
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8answers
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I don't understand the bottom number in a time signature

I've learned that 4/4 means 4 beats with the kind of beat being a crotchet. However, I've seen pieces with that time signature that don't just use crotchets, but minims, quavers, etc. I am still a ...
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4answers
272 views

Ella Fitzgerald's rendition of A Night in Tunisia

I'd like to satisfy this little curiosity I've been entertaining in my brain. I've recently been really into Ella's songs, especially her renditions of classic jazz standards. Her version of A Night ...
4
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5answers
1k views

Are 4/8 in 60bpm and 4/4 in 120bpm the same?

Question in title. Suppose my friend and I are discussing a song and I say it's written in 4/4 at 120bpm but my friend says it's written in 4/8 at 60bpm. Under what conditions would one answer be ...
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3answers
104 views

Rewriting in Compound Meter

I am confused on how to rewrite a piece in compound meter. Here are a few examples I have which I need to change to compound meter. I think I need to just compound 2 measures together?
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2answers
285 views

Time Signature Issue

I've been having an issue with this composition. Is it supposed to be 4/4 or would it become a different time signature? I know that 4/4 is 4/4 often because each note contains 4 beats- but often I ...
1
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1answer
58 views

3:2 polymeter in a single 6/4 time signature, which accent pattern would be which meter?

I've noticed that 6 allows me to have a 3:2 polymeter in a single time signature. I've thought of perhaps doing it for the Saturn movement of my Planets Suite, where some instruments have a 3/4 ...
8
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2answers
274 views

How to change the symbol of time signature in Lilypond

Instead of the big C or numerical time signature, I must use the symbol "サ". This time signature "サ" is common in many Chinese music pieces, it means "freely". How do I ...
8
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2answers
608 views

How to write a pickup measure with 5/16 duration in Lilypond?

I'm trying to write sheet music for a piece with a pickup measure of 5 sixteenth notes. Lilypond has the \partial command for this, but it only accepts a single duration. That duration may be dotted, ...
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7answers
159 views

What are ways to emphasize a rhythm/time signatures without drums?

What are some ways a song without drums can indicate the rhythm/time signature through the melody or chord progression? It seems that when drums are involved, they play a certain beat over and over ...
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4answers
882 views

How Do I Count Note Durations In These Bars?

I am learning a piece at the moment which is in 4/4, however some bars look like they should be 12/8, and I am confused about the mixing of notation of sometimes triplets sometimes not. Here is the ...
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1answer
71 views

What's the time signature for “Son of Flynn” and “Recognizer” in the TRON: Legacy Soundtrack by Daft Punk? [closed]

What's the time signature for "Son of Flynn" and "Recognizer" in the TRON: Legacy Soundtrack by Daft Punk? It seems to me that "Son of Flynn" is clearly in a mixed meter: ...
6
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1answer
671 views

Rests in 10/16 time

I am confused about a solution to a question in my music theory exercise book. The answer is shown in an image below (the one in 10/16 time). From what I understand, the rests should fit into the ...
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5answers
907 views

For an arbitrary time signature, where do the beats go?

4/4 gets 1 and 3 as strong. 3/4 gets 1. 6/8 gets 1, and 4 is strong but less so. I don’t know what 7/4 is supposed to be, but 1, 2, and 5 sounds good. 9/8 and 12/8 are really just 3 and 4 triplets, ...
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1answer
82 views

2/4 time signature, miscounting? [duplicate]

I'm trying to to practice my 2/4 time signature. Am I just making a stupid mistake with the attached image? They are 1/16th notes? so shouldn't there only be 8 of them to make up two beats and not 12? ...
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3answers
165 views

How could you notate a measure where you have “cut-off” triplets? [closed]

So, let's say you have a measure of 3/4. Like the following: Then you have a triplet in the next measure, like this: How would I "cut off" the last quarter rest from that triplet? I was ...
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1answer
81 views

How to search the Internet for a song by time signature [closed]

For example tunes in 2 over 1. I have tried a number of syntactical constructions without any hint of success. My last "Classical music 2 over 1 time signature". The essence seems to be that ...
4
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3answers
412 views

Where the accent should be when the beat is made up of different notes

As far as I understood the difference between the various time signature is essentially where strong and soft beats are located. For example in 4/4 we have strong beat - soft beat - medium strong beat ...
2
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2answers
108 views

How simple time and compound time signatures change the rhythm

I'm trying to get out of the "simple time VS compound" tunnel, but I'm still stuck with a bunch of doubts. To make things clear I wrote the following pentagrams with different time ...
4
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3answers
564 views

Cubase Elements 9 - 4/3 Time Signature

I'm working with Cubase Elements 9, and I"m trying to designate different parts of my track to have different time signatures. In the tempo editor, I have the song from measure 9 onwards ...
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1answer
79 views

The difference between 3/2 and 3/4 [duplicate]

So, today, the tides washed up this question from years ago: In 3/2 time why is a whole-note rest used as a bar's rest when a whole-note doesn't fill the measure? This reminded me of a noob ...
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5answers
888 views

Are notes played on the beat [always] played louder?

I know that the 4/4 time signature is played as [ONE-two-Three-four]. But in the third beat of the first measure there are two 8th notes; the first one coinciding with the beat. So would they be ...
1
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1answer
62 views

Maintaining pulse, changing measure length

TLDR; So I've got a piece that's predominantly in a nice, slow, 4/4 common time at 76 bpm. Halfway through however, in order for the score to not look like a horrific mess, I needed to keep the same ...
7
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5answers
430 views

Can any score-writer do 'irrational' time signatures?

I know I can write them as metrical modulations but I prefer to write them like this: ...which Sibelius can't do. I have to switch to a graphics program and it's time-consuming. The main advantage of ...
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2answers
145 views

Number of beats doesn't match time signature - how to play this?

I have a question about sheet music for D. Scarlatti's sonata K56. The time signature of the piece is 12/8, but in the very first measure there are actually 12.5 beats in the upper staff, including ...
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1answer
94 views

Correct BPM to set for a 6/8 shuffle rhythm pattern so that is sounds like a 12/8 tempo at 135 BPM?

I am learning to play Tie Your Mother Down by Queen: The song should be played at 135 BPM, the tempo is 12/8 (3 eight notes on each of the 4 quarters of the bar): ...
2
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1answer
90 views

Use of fractional time signatures in Lilypond

I am trying to recreate this time signature of 2 and a half over 4 in lilypond. I cannot figure out how to get the fraction in there, and for this project, I am required to keep as many engraving ...
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2answers
2k views

Sheet music time signature question

I don't understand how the first measure only has one quarter note and how the third one has three quarter notes and a half note, both measures don't seem to add up to 4 quarter notes like the time ...
0
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1answer
53 views

What are those “timeline” dashboards are called in video/audio editors?

I'm trying to make a similar thing for a web app, but I don't want to reinvent the wheel if there's already open source software out there. The idea: User plays a youtube video on one of my web pages ...
5
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8answers
842 views

Converting a 3/4 melody to a 2/4 march, any tips?

So, I'm writing a Theme and Variations piece using the Happy Birthday melody. And I am writing it for a string quartet. I know I will have or already have these variations: Eighth note variation - ...
2
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2answers
349 views

Formula for length of a measure in minutes?

This question is probably a crossover with mathematics. I'm charting a song into a music game. The song has numerous #/12 time signatures, but the game can only handle power-of-2 signatures (#/4, #/8,...
3
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3answers
1k views

why 3/8 is not a compound time signature? [duplicate]

If compound time signatures are the result of the following operation comp. ts = simple ts x 3/2 (for ex. 6/8 = 2/4 x 3/2) why 3/8 , that can be the result of 1/4 x 3/2 , is said to be simple ...
5
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5answers
4k views

Is 8/4 time signature a thing?

I'm refering to Cross Examination Moderato 2001 by Masakazu Sugimori and Minecraft by C418. Let's assume the beat unit is transcribed by a quarter note. For the first piece, it sounds like eighth ...

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