4/4 vs 2/4 vs 2/2 Time Signatures....What's the Difference???

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[@suvaissance]

Comedy gold: “I love that there are so many people out there who don’t actually make KZbin videos… but who are seemingly experts about topics and like to watch videos about the stuff that they already know everything about, and leave comments to tell the content creator what they got wrong” 😂

[@kathiefleming2830]

Thank you for explaining this time signature to me. Just a little backstory 68 year old grandmother who decided to try to learn piano during Covid and found out that my now seven-year-old grandson has perfect pitch and is gifted musically so he’s way ahead of me at any rate, his piano teacher that my daughter-in-law pays for lessons (assignments that I have to teach him), He can read notes but once he knows the song he plays from memory or the patterns he’s deciphered. but can learn them he listens to music and then he can play it. I can’t tell my daughter in law anything. Should I just keep with her program of theory. Btw. My grandson loves and understands the Circle of Fifths and 7ths and 9ths and very into video games sings cause he hears them all the time. Thanks for listening. Appreciate any advice.

[@Pnoman73]

Counting 2/2 definitely helps with Africa by Toto.

[@donaldneumeyer4423]

Excellent Steve

[@PianoManSteve]

Thanks! 😎

[@howtodoitdude1662]

Thanks Steve. Sometimes it’s good to understand the difference between full and half time. I noticed this in some Elton John’s songs when he has a 2/4 bar inside a 4/4 song. Like you said, it’s all about mathematics. Great video!

[@PianoManSteve]

Hey Dan, that's a good point and something I forgot to mention.....the most common function of 2/4 is usually a one off spot inside a 4/4 song, and that is relatively common to see. Good catch!

[@Thebigkeoghowski]

I have a book of American country songs. Hey good looking by Hank Willams is in it, and it's in 2/2,according to the book. but yeah you have a point. I used to do piano lessons, and my piano teacher said 2/2 and 4/4 are basically the same thing.

[@augustinechinnappanmuthria7042]

Super super super explanation fantastic Augustine violinist from Malaysia Malaysia

[@vmac65]

Love this Steve. Spot on.

[@samjack1960]

Hey Steve! Since you asked what we may want to learn about here's a topic that has me perplexed a bit. A lot of songs have what I think is called a modulation where the same melody or chorus goes up a half or a whole step. My questions are: Is this called modulation and if not, what do you call this? Next, since I hear this in both upbeat songs and slower/ballads is it something that is used for dramatic purposes and/or to add a flair to the song? It would seem so but I'm getting at its overall purpose to the listener. And if you want to do this do you do it a half step up or a whole step up (I don't think I've heard it going down, but I could be wrong). And lastly, if you want to do/add this to a song yourself, how should you think about it? That is, on the chorus, just at the end or where? Sorry for the long-winded question but this has been on my mind for a long time. Sam Jackson

[@jazzninja77]

Hey Sam, technically modulation means to change and aspect of the sound (some fx units like chorus are called Modulation fx) but in music theory modulation most commonly refers to a key change. This is not the same as a time signature change which is what Steve is referring to here. This time signature change could also be referred to as a change in "groove" or "feel". This will affect how fast or slow the song feels. A key change, or modulation, will affect the pitch of the notes and they will sound higher or lower. You can have a time signature change in the same key, and a key change with the same feel. I hope that makes sense 🙂

[@raggedyantoinette]

Thanks Steve! You did a video once where you showed how to get the hands going in separate rhythms making an overall rhythm by using the phrase "george Washington" and that was the first time I was able to make my hands work separately! I'd love more stuff like that, about hand independence, that doesn't insist that I do math lol

[@PianoManSteve]

Thanks for the suggestion....I'll keep that in mind as I make new content like this!

[@marshallsmith1366]

I wish someone would explain half time Rock styles vs double time Rock. Are many Elton hits composed in half time?

[@PianoMan10]

It’s in 4/4 time because of the phrasing. And this kind of analysis might be okay in a basic song like the Hank Williams one, but it doesn’t work in more complex music such as jazz and classical music.

[@PianoManSteve]

I was so eagerly waiting for my first member of the music theory Police to come in and dress me down in front of everyone 😂. You must’ve missed or intentionally ignored the part where I said, my method is about playing popular music… Nobody uses lyric sheets and chords to play classical music… and once again, when you clearly already know everything you need to know, why on earth are you watching videos like this? It feels like kind of a waste of your time. 🤷‍♂️😂

[@PianoMan10]

@@PianoManSteve I guess it’s where the pulse is, right? The pulse isn’t the same place in cut time vs. common time. But you’re right, for basic music, I guess it doesn’t matter a ton. Keep up the good work Steve. Enjoy the videos.

[@PianoManSteve]

Let me know what else you might want to learn about in the comments gang!

[@stevenjustice6537]

Theory nerds and play by feel folks should just avoid each other. Then there's no debate over terms like cadence.

[@PianoManSteve]

Haha……well, I try to get along with everyone 🤷‍♂️😂

[@maestrocurtis8904]

I teach this all the time and I am in total concert with this. Mozart proved this very point and anyone who is a teacher or musician who doesn't understand this is stuck.

[@PianoManSteve]

It’s not that I don’t understand the subtle nuanced differences other teachers will usually point out….but they aren’t universally applied, and I just think we make this too complicated for most music students who aren’t going to pursue it with enough seriousness and vigor to need to unpack it. Glad you’re keeping it simple and practical with your students….the music teaching world needs more of that 👍🎹🎶