What Is A Time Signature? [EXPLAINED]

[@bhumiiii7135]

i love how you explain it wirhout making me feel dumb....usually I'm expected to know without someone explaining anything to me but i love this thanks a ton

[@Shayne_Mushin]

Finally someone combines the arbitrary, antiquated system with the systematic, mathematical, logical one

[@littlepocketstudios8569]

Six minutes in. And I finally... finally understand something outside of X/4 time! THANK YOU!!!!

[@CraftyMusicTips]

Excellent!

[@startupeco2257]

Very good! I realized what " the value of the note" at the bottom of the ratio means. Great teaching style. Thank you.

[@bigarte]

Thanks for the refresher Crafty. Your teaching techniques and knowledge are top notch. Much appreciated. I always look forward to each Lesson and Masterclass as a member of Crafty's Guitar Club. Highly recommended to all.

[@BenInSeattle]

_“If_ _you've_ _never_ _thought_ _about_ _that,_ _if_ _you've_ _never_ _done_ _that,_ _you've_ _got_ _some_ _practice_ _to_ _do,_ _and_ _I_ _mean_ _that_ _in_ _the_ _most_ _you_ _exciting_ _way_ _possible.”_ My favorite lesson from this video: practicing time signatures can be exciting!

[@wrenmarshall3534]

As a violist that is currently trying to arrange a song by ear, this helped a bunch. I somehow only truly understand now despite playing for 6 years now😂

[@Spacedog98]

Thank you crafty! Now that bottom number can stop bothering me!

[@tracybowser7125]

I love you. I sick at timing and after a year of searching. I found you man. Thanks you so much

[@MrJrhzues]

just subscribed youre amazing by far the best ive seen on youtube

[@philipsheard624]

Thank you for making this enjoyable, clear and concise.

[@fee8784]

Your content is insightful and entertaining. Keep up the good work bud.

[@chaschampion777]

I play drums by ear... that is, I listen and try to follow along... can't hardly keep a beat though. I definitely don't understand time signatures 😁 Thanks always for the great info Crafty

[@CraftyMusicTips]

Hey Chas, so you understand them now after watching the video?

[@IsItJustMeNewZealand]

Great. Thanks. Brilliant teaching. Relaxed, warm, friendly, fun approach.👍🙂💯💥

[@JKFlaker]

Hey thanks. Came here after seeing your Man I Feel Like A Woman with Sing It Live. Love your enthusiasm. 👍🏼. That helped. I especially enjoyed trying to figure out where the interspersed video clips came from 😂

[@davewhyte6087]

Thanks very much Crafty, this was extremely helpful in clearing up questions that some erudite folk have been unable to resolve for me. I've predominantly moved to Banjo; however, this is extremely relevant to both my types of instruments. PS: have followed your advice from the Veteran's course and purchased an electric guitar to complement my acoustic. Now for the rest of the stuff to enable me to use the Stratrocaster.... :)

[@crystalv6122]

You explain things so easily 👍🏼

[@LukheleSipho]

You are a great teacher!

[@drkmgic]

Wow this has been the best explanation I've heard. Ty

[@sentinautt]

Surely you could change the time signature and tempo to make the song sound the exact same but the sheet music look different? Oh, after watching past 5:30 , you already addressed this haha

[@haftommeles4293]

You are really a savior. Great job.

[@lani8453]

Am I the only one who still doesn’t understand the bottom half of the time signature?

[@nchumtsanglao7696]

I thought I was the only one on earth who doesn't understand the bottom number😅😂

[@DacostaTV-lj4yi]

No

[@fishboy3179]

It's those bs notes!! I'm probably wrong but those notes are a perception within the tempo. It's the denominator for the feel of the song

[@lovely-shrubbery8578]

​​​@@fishboy3179it's basically resolution or quantization. Given a constant bpm and top number, the amount of time each note type varies as a power of 2, ie is doubled or halved. For a concrete example, it could make sense to use 4/1 if you want to separate a bar conventionally into 4 sections, and have all the smaller note designations available to get more time precision for each note. This is a relative form of measurement because it only means something when you have a time scale for reference, or bpm. If I'm wrong about anything let me know because I wrote this to solidify my own understanding.

[@azkiaarahima]

From how I like to think of it, the bottom half basically means the _th note = 1 beat in that bar. For example, 3/4 => 3 beats in one bar, with 1/*4* note equal to 1 beat in that bar Then, 7/8 => 7 beats in one bar, with 1/*8* note equal to 1 beat in that bar Correct me if i'm wrong!

[@sercansari9421]

awesome video, very clear and funny, thanks man!

[@melanovapedia7924]

Thank you so much, Crafty!

[@loisanita0106]

Yes yes great learning video

[@tanaydwivedimusic]

Really like your teaching style (*simpson smile) GREAT WORK

[@BadEconomyOfficial]

Listen to Coronor’s Semtex Revolution, they start out in 4/4, but change it to 3/4 in near the end of the song

[@stacystacksbeats999]

MAGNIFICENT !!!!!

[@musicalbirds2928]

Great video. Thanks for sharing.

[@sentinautt]

I've always wanted to write a song with 5 beats in a bar because it sounds so different and awkward lol

[@anzatzi]

This is for me!

[@Gbwdoings]

Thank you sir

[@Soumil-f7]

At 5:45, you were comparing 4/4 to 2/4... and said they sound the same, but a couple of seconds back you compared 4/8 to 2/4, saying that they sound the same, to which i completely agree that they sound the same(other than the accenting)... Just wanted to know if that was a typo at 5:45...... Other than that excellent lesson really!

[@CraftyMusicTips]

Not a typo, I didn’t say that 4/4 and 2/4 sound the same (however I could’ve mentioned that 2 x 2/4 bars equal 1 x 4/4 bar). I can’t remember exactly why there was a bar of 4/4 next to the 2/4 bar (and 4/8 bar) but I believe it was to demonstrate what these other time signatures sound like in comparison. Hope that helps clear up 👍

[@koofejood]

Very good!!

[@BenInSeattle]

I think I finally understand: 4/4 ⇒ 4 × ¼ ⇒ four quarter notes per measure, 4/8 ⇒ 4 × ⅛ ⇒ four eighth notes per measure, and 2/4 ⇒ 2 × ¼ ⇒ two quarter notes per measure. I got thrown when you said 2/4 could _also_ be four eighth notes, but I think I figured it out. Since a eighth note takes half the time of a quarter note, you can fit twice as many in a measure. Right? But now I'm confused about the "strong note". In 2/4 time, I think I understand that the accent is ONE-two. But, if I get to a measure with four eighth notes, should the first eighth be emphasized (ONE-and-two-and)? The second (and-ONE-and-two)? Both of them (AND-ONE-and-two)? Or is this not something time-signatures specify?

[@CraftyMusicTips]

Good questions Ben, yes the 2 eighth notes fit into the same amount of time as a quarter note so can fit twice as many. Also, yes accented (emphasized) beats and “strong” beats are 2 different things (sometimes the same), an accent is louder but doesn’t necessarily always appear at the start of a bar. Yes, it’s fun to practice !

[@desringdawhojaisa2769]

Thaks for a simple way of explanation

[@Phantomslayeruk]

Much better than the video my teacher made me watch. also..... "I like French toast"

[@brytonbeats5077]

Mahn i use software to make melodies and am really enjoying how you teach it

[@TeacherMark-gb1bc]

Thank you!

[@Taylor-kd6lr]

Thankyou Thankyou Thankyou for this. This is the best video I’ve seen on YT about time signatures. I was confused before, but after seeing this, I am finally beginning to get a grasp on time signatures. Excellent presentation.🔥🔥🔥

[@KHAN_900H]

Thanks sir❤

[@JDMarshall-og9vb]

How you show the guitar beat then how you Explain and say how a drum beat would sound kick Snare Snare and on WOo I Totally get it now thank you so much

[@dia97452]

It was so helpful thx😍

[@donjr75]

That's when feel comes in after you learn the theroy😄😄😄

[@miglriccardi]

What in the world? How is 2/4 the same as 4/8? 2/4 would be two quarter notes (a quarter note for two beats and the measure ends there) and 4/8 would be four 8th notes (an eighth note for four beats and the measure ends there). What am I not getting? 2/4 for 1 measure: 1 2 4/8 for 1 measure: 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &

[@pallavisreetambraparni6995]

Very useful

[@firstanama4573]

Do you have a polyrhythm video?

[@livealoha50f]

Crafty needs to teach me how to look as cool as you! Otherwise thanks.

[@Michelle6998832]

This was a great workshop, but the way you taught it leads one to believe that the time signatures are related to the number or beats per chord. You never showed how to count multiple chords or other rhythm values (sound and silence values) in the same bar.

[@CraftyMusicTips]

Yes, this is the basics, more in-depth demonstrations are inside the club 👍

[@Michelle6998832]

@CraftyMusicTips Oh, I see. Thank you for your fast response! 😊

[@johnandliznz]

hi there. at 5.5m in - both diagrams look exactly the same to me. am i missing something?

[@CraftyMusicTips]

They’re supposed to be the same because that’s the point. 1 bar of 2/4 is the same length as a bar of 4/8

[@Angelina_Rava]

Thank you

[@kevinmonico8701]

i dont get the kick snare snare. Would it be more kick hihats hihats over two snare for a kick. Just wondering

[@CraftyMusicTips]

The “kick snare snare” is just one of many ways to fill up the counts “1 2 3”. Many other options are out there to fill up a bar, varying drum grooves is a great way to connect to the same time signature ie. the counts/beats don’t change!

[@apostlempitoe4779]

Great

[@Raghwendra_Pratap]

Thanks

[@kylben]

Isn't an eigth note just a quarter note in a faster tempo? I can't figure out how the bottom number means anything at all.

[@CraftyMusicTips]

Yes, time signatures are relative to how fast or slow you’re counting. The bottom number is only relevant if you’re writing/reading sheet music. This is the link to the next part to this video, hope it helps! kzbin.info/www/bejne/eYe1mHiYadWlh6c

[@RRBuilder611]

its relation to tempo as well. If you keep the same tempo, a bar of 4/8 feels twice as fast as 4/4. Conversely, you can cut the tempo in half to force 4/8 to sound like the faster tempo 4/4.

[@KennieJr-g2d]

So there's no "and" note In 4/8? 6:00 am . Each note is a quarter note.🙃?

[@FOCHS5]

Still do t understand the bottom number

[@zer-pd2sp]

I still dont understand why 4/8 is faster than 4/4?

[@CraftyMusicTips]

4 eighth notes (or quavers) last for exactly half the amount of time/beat length than 4 quarter notes (or crotchets), so they sound twice as fast

[@zer-pd2sp]

@@CraftyMusicTips so 4/8 is 4/4 two times the speed? For example: 4/4 at 120 bpm is 4/8 at 60 bpm?

[@CraftyMusicTips]

@@zer-pd2sp you got it! 👍

[@CraftyMusicTips]

@ yes! 👏

[@diegocarillo1454]

I guarantee you the greatest guitarists ever don’t know shit about this 😂

[@CraftyMusicTips]

Why you think that, and how you can guarantee it are both beyond me 🤣

[@judithnavarrete3515]

👏👏👏👏👏👏👏🙏🙏

[@poptart8690]

5:54 if this is sarcasm then it’s poorly used here. “I believe it’s gonna sound the same.” It’s not the same. The second one is faster. And then what? You just… don’t explain what you meant? All this talk in the previous section about “in the same amount of time.” Idk man. This wasn’t helpful to me. Maybe I’m the only one. I’ll keep watching past 6 min tho. Maybe it’ll click.

[@CraftyMusicTips]

Hi mate, this video was put together from exclusive footage from inside the Crafty Guitar Club membership where the explanations were usually longer and members had the opportunity to ask questions etc. There's definitely a possibility that this fast-paced style of info could be confusing, definitely unintentional! In particular, about the difference between a bar of 2/4 and 4/8, the example was how time signatures are relative, 1 bar in both of these types of time signatures can perfectly fit 4 quavers in it (as shown in the video). Hope that helps.

[@zfloe]

So basically if I’m playing rock/blues I should just stick to 4/4.

[@BadEconomyOfficial]

You can do 3/4 too

[@danhaywood5696]

I believe ghe video accidently has yiu playing 4/4 compareed to 2/4. Not 4/8 compared to 2/4 as its supposed to demonstrate. Watch at about the 5 minute mark. Its confusing AF.

[@CraftyMusicTips]

Nothing accidental at all. The difference between a bar of 4/4 and 2/4 is that the first bar is double the length of the second bar. Alternatively, if the second bar is changed to be a bar of 4/8, it’s exactly the same length as a bar of 2/4. Confusing if the calculations don’t click. Try watching it a few times, and if it still doesn’t make sense then feel free to ask something more specific, you’ll get it sooner or later 👍

[@vaibhavkatiyar7356]

Thank you

[@martinlanders1623]

Thank you