What are time signatures? If you’ve read the previous blog posts, you would be familiar with the count -1-2-3-4-1-2-3-4-; that is what we refer to as a time signature. They indicate how many counts are there in each measure and which type of note should receive one count. There are basically three time signatures that you need to learn which will be covered here.

These are the 4/4, 3/4, and 2/4 time signature. In sheet music, you’ll find the treble or base clef in the beginning, and then the time signature. 4/4 is nothing but 4 beats in a bar (also referred to as measure) or the -1-2-3-4-1-2-3-4- that we’ve been using all the while till now. It is the most common time signature, and is referred to as common time.

The second most common time signature is ¾, which is nothing but 3 beats in a bar or -1-2-3-1-2-3-. If you’ve listened to the genre of music called the waltz, it uses 3 beats in a bar. It’s usually a piece of music written for a specific style of dancing.

Finally, the 2/4 or 2 beats in a bar, is popularly known as a march and goes -1-2-1-2-. The rhythm is very similar to how your feet go “left-right, left-right” in a march. It’s a fast-paced one, but you could practise it by slowing down the tempo as well.

Use the chord progressions you have learnt in the previous posts (such as the one with chords in the C Major scale), and practise them in 4/4, 3/4, and 2/4 time. This will help you better appreciate the difference and get accustomed to counting in these time signatures.

The upcoming blog post is a continuation of this, where you will read about a few advanced time signatures and how to practise in those. You will also gain clarity on what the bottom number 4 (referred to as pace value) represents in these time signatures. Keep reading and improving your knowledge of playing the keyboard or piano.