Time Signatures Part 1: The Basics (Music Theory)

This video explains and discusses the most common time signatures. Equivalent to the associated board (ABRSM) music theory exams grades 1 & 2 the video starts with the very basics and explains the meaning of the time signature.
For more videos please visit: www.musictheory...

[@wanderingrandomer]

I now have more questions than when I started

[@eldaniels6730]

Yeah me too

[@sufferedsumit]

@@eldaniels6730 lol🤣

[@futabaweeb4484]

ㄴ믇

[@3D1ofakind]

that's actually a really good sign that you're learning

[@DoomMage]

@@3D1ofakind yeah because then you can ask more specific questions and learn more specific details compared to knowing surface level knowledge

[@MrPJBarney]

4:27 "My answer is simply, no."

[@hailey5581]

4:35

[@sy1vxnv2.02]

Thank you musictheoryguy, for a long time I was always struggling with my time signatures but now after watching this video i am very very confident about it. I have a music theory exam coming up and this was very helpful. THANK YOU!! Now I am intrigued to watch the rest of your series.

[@krishnakapoor749]

Just amazing! I understood seeing your first video! Thanks for helping me in my Exam A

[@kalitalks821]

Great video! Really helped me understand time signatures better than my music teacher teaches it! Got my exam in a few weeks so much appreciated great video!

[@ladydebonair6080]

Thank you very much! This has helped me understand the time signatures much better than my music teacher had explained to me!

[@massimhb8674]

Your videos are a gold mine, you're a wonderful teacher

[@gabrielrosariomusic]

All your videos are really helpful! Very well elaborated. One suggestion though, you would take it up a notch if you were to play the notes to see how they sound in there time signature. I hope I explained myself good enough lol! But over all, GREAT WORK!!!

[@zelle1897]

had trouble getting it at first since the terms are different... But bruh thanks for this!! Made lotsa sense, esp when I wrote notes alongside watching. More power🤘

[@rajgg6666]

Recently I started to learn music theory and came across your videos, absolutely amazing, simple graphic with comprehensive explanation in plain English is wonderful. well done Stephen.

[@nicholaswoolfenden5254]

Great stuff. Makes you think. Not a bad thing. Plenty of other Vids explaining crotchet meanings etc. Look it up!

[@georgewills3682]

Very helpful and clear. I do get distracted when he uses an apostrophe in a plural though: 2's should read 2s.

[@PaulFSmith]

Very clearly explained. Thank you very much.

[@yongchaozhao8971]

Beautiful lesson.

[@annautica]

This video is very good. I just get confused when he calls them crotchets or quavers and such. cx Im so used to calling them quarter notes and eighth notes.

[@theNecksLevel]

dude, me too. i took piano for 3 years and choir all my life and i NEVER heard them called crotchets and quavers...damn brits.

[@annautica]

theNecksLevel I know xo

[@xiawang5163]

This is Reynold. I like your video. I would like to ask whether there is such thing as 1 over 1 time signature.Reply as soon as possible.Thanks. Message from Reynold,Singapore.

[@Brigitteization]

Super helpful! Thank you for sharing!

[@cfz1988]

I got confused. To me, the bottom name of time signature simply means the kind of note gets one beat.

[@jeanetteb10]

This is amazing. I've understood it very clearly and wrote some notes as well. Thank you so much. Keep it up 🙂🙂 Before I had a lot of confusion to understand time signatures but this video helped me a lot to understand better. Xxxx

[@beatsworkindrumschool8357]

Fantastic video

[@LivetheHighestGrade]

Excellent videos, thanks very much!

[@iLoveToBeM3]

THANK YOU! Helped a lot!! :)

[@madelineteo9401]

really really really awesome vid!

[@calisouthqueen]

Thanks for the refresher. Wish I knew about this video when I was in school.

[@gusjohnnson9641]

Interesting. This video is in 4:3.

[@mahela1993]

Great video. You explain the material very clearly. .. but where's the video on "beaming"? I'd love to watch that as well. I couldn't find it on your channel.

[@michowdy6707]

When you're an engineer and you think that 2/4 is the same as 1/2 .....

[@KindoNints]

If you don’t understand the terms he’s using for the notes here’s the translation: Whole note: Semi-breve Half note: Minim Quarter Note: Crotchet Eighth Note: Quaver Sixteenth Note: Semi-quaver

[@nikkaanub3858]

Thx that help😊😊👍

[@edchris8971]

tnx

[@stephenchung]

Have no idea what you are writing

[@alexanderzousky8696]

@@usualdosage7287 chill, no need to be so harsh on beginners

[@stephaniesummer2663]

lastchanceforaslowdance_ 02 Mate I’m sorry, but it’s been 5 years. It’s not fresh in my head.

[@RRSmurf]

Comes here to understand what a time signature is.... Leaves to find out what everything he said in the video means.

[@desivuitton4401]

RRSmurf facttsssss

[@alessandrabarbacina6708]

Hi person from 2 years sgo :)

[@InkByt3]

@@alessandrabarbacina6708Hi person from 2 years ago :)

[@EchoesFromCorn]

​@@alessandrabarbacina6708 hi person from two years ago

[@emphisisonthef]

@@alessandrabarbacina6708 hi person from 2 years ago 💀💀😭

[@just_jaz2002]

this would be a lot easier to understand if he was using our terms like quarter notes and half notes.

[@MasterCowsChaos]

Not everyone is American, tough shit right?

[@HAIRYBIKER777]

Those are the dumbed-down names though... like having a "round of 16" instead of a quarter-final. If you're serious about music, you shouldn't be thrown by talk of minims and crotchets.

[@Danzin_Danzibar]

Same. I was completely lost when he brought up these terms I never heard before.

[@-zephyressence-2018]

I know right? :/

[@herenomore3167]

It would be; for *you*. God, why do americans want everything their way?

[@HalfShelli]

This is great, Music Theory Guy! I was listening to a Rush song and it made me want to understand time signatures. Now I plan to watch your whole series! BTW, it's too bad you have ratings turned off, as I would have loved to give you a thumbs up!

[@benmontey3438]

Amen to that!

[@kukisouza]

You have NOO idea on how much you've helped me! Forever grateful!

[@3D1ofakind]

6:14 my brain was so confused because it was expecting 2 crochets per bar, but there were 4 quavers, lightbulb moment though, realizing it only defines where the beat/metronome lands. Awesome stuff, thanks for these series. The note grouping makes a lot more sense now.

[@i5halan686]

I feel like there’s a way simpler way to explain this. Like you’re trying to confuse people. Just say quarter note, eighth note, whole not

[@Ben-ff6hc]

i5h\/Alan that’s only for Americans

[@apswindall]

I love how the British use different terms than Americans. lol

[@brandon2932]

Yeah i was getting confused. "Crotchet beats"??

[@sy1vxnv2.02]

HA HA HA lol

[@happyspaceinvader508]

American music scholars also learn the international terms.

[@electricant55]

@Dio Brando Brits didn't invent music theory

[@boldcautionproductions9203]

@@happyspaceinvader508 Holy crap, it took me almost a minute to adjust, what a pain! If you can't make the shift here, good luck with key changes.

[@melonydever]

First off, I'd like to say that I love your videos I have really struggled with music theory for a while and you've really helped. Second, I was wondering if you have ever considered putting parts of your videos (like the note chart and pyramid) in a PDF format so they can be printed for easier reference? Without the margin of error from hand copying it. Also do you have any worksheets for your videos?

[@maxbramley7695]

Only video on KZbin that helped me fully understand, I've taken GCSE music and now I'm flying, thanks so much!

[@Anoymouse_user]

People in the downer comments saying omg this is so amazing ty (me too ty) but me i dont hnderstand like wha i wosh they use our terms 😭 bc tht wou b much easier

[@KingsleyMusicLessons]

wow! this video makes it simple and very easy to understand thank you.

[@shankarmanbajracharya2700]

Thank you ! Namaste from Nepal 🇳🇵🙏🙏🙏🇳🇵

[@musictheoryguy]

Lol! Thanks for sticking with it and for the kind comments. Best wishes.

[@josiemoore6613]

unrelated, but this video was posted on april 11th 2011 which was my fifth birthday :))

[@hindalkendi9646]

IM SO HAPPY I FOUND YOUR CHANNELI HAVE A MUSIC EXAM ON SUNDAY AND EVERYTHING I STUDIED IS ON THIS THANK GOD . GOD BLESS YOU !! BTW IM IN A BRITISH SCHOOL SO THIS IS PERFECT

[@TheNaijaGosiper]

Crutches, equqver🙄🙄 Brah this thing gets even more confusing 😴

[@IbanezjemJSX]

thanks for these lessons my friend, nearly gave up hope when looking on the internet to find a decent lesson on time signatures... but then i found your videos and they were exactly what i was looking for :) cheers

[@Texy88]

11:54 Ironically recently I discovered that some scored versions of the beginning of the Goo Goo Dolls song _Iris_ have it with an 8/8 time-signature. It took me by surprise, but when you hear the way that beginning part is “weighted”, somehow 8/8 does seem more fitting than 4/4...

[@tbw6652]

I'm American, and this is very hard to follow, considering we don't use terms like crotchets. Our names for notes are like "Whole notes" and "half-notes" and "quarter-notes" and so on.

[@sean1445]

Just write down the name. You should be able to recognize what the note is without a name applied to it anyway.

[@lovelydaze413]

@JayoJay Thats how they teach it in America though....

[@lebswada]

JayoJay Lol but it makes more sense to call them half notes and so on instead of crotchets or minims. Plus, I don't think a switch up in the terms really makes any difference or hinders a "proper" learning experience.

[@AlipashaSadri]

Imagine if you first learned music in a non-English language, then lived in US and got used to that and now this :) Takes probably 5min to get used to the new names! ;)

[@whyhello5461]

@JayoJay In America they don't teach this--we learn whole notes, half notes, quarter notes, sixteenth notes, triplets, etc

[@dansolen9451]

Personally I don’t find 4/4 and 2/2 sound the same. 2/2 leaves more space for swing to my way of thinking...

[@ILLBEBACH2]

I am practicing again after several years. Your videos have helped me with some difficult pieces. Thank you so much. There's just so much to remember from formal schooling. You are a great teacher.

[@gglezo]

This guys speaks IDENTICALLY to Mohinder Suresh (Heroes show) hahahahah.

[@georgia.00]

You are amazing and I like the way you explain!!!👍👍👍

[@sweesen8094]

thanks I always review ur vids. I play the violin and I just don't get the bottom number. Everyone gets it just I dont gEt it. I was panicking and I searched up a vid and found this. It was helpful to me and I understand now. Thank you so much ur vids r clear for me. Btw can't you use quarter,half,eight,or sixteebth notes? oh and who is watching in 2016??

[@DanielAjayi]

you've explained it better than anyone in my entire life.

[@katemaher4541]

Thank you very much for this video! I am ready to sit my pian grade 8 very soon but am ashamed to have left my grade 5 theory so late and need to get it completed asap! I made notes and am very pleased with my progress. You explain everything so well!

[@musictheoryguy]

Thank you for your kind words! Good luck with the Grade 8 piano and the Grade 5 theory! Best wishes.

[@lolfeg]

+musictheoryguy Took me a few hours to understand your concepts, specifically the bottom time signature. I'm a novice learner too. Great job.

[@salomebalasuriya4530]

+Kate Maher How did you do grades 6 and 7 without the grade 5 theory...?

[@Rosenblum18]

Thank you for this. This is the first lesson in decades on this subject that I have finally understood. At the 3:13 mark of your video, I thumped the beat with my foot and understood where the notes depicted on the staff fell within the beat.

[@N007-k6z]

After watching a couple tutorials, I came across your video and from the thumbnail alone, I understand what time signature is now and the significance of the bottom number. I would say great video but I haven't watched it but I'm sure it is and I found this helpful excellent thumbnail to say the least

[@fayolablair8424]

i have to agree this is the best music vedio online . this helped me wit homework and wit my music test!!!!

[@stelladavis1798]

I haven't watched all of the other videos in the series yet so I'll refrain from mentioning the things he might touch on in the subsequent parts. However, there are some things I want to say. The first one is kind of petty. The symbol for common time isn't a c. It LOOKS like a c, but it isn't. It makes sense that people would think that, though. Someone who doesn't know this particular piece of music history (I only learned it recently) would be reasonable to make the assumption that the symbol that looks like a c IS a c because common time starts with the letter three. Then, this incorrect information gets passed down through teaching, and no one realizes they're wrong. First off, music notation existed far far before the invention of the English language. It was substantially developed in Italy, which is why we use Italian words like "allegro" and "crescendo". So why would the symbol be based on the English word for "common"? Actually, we probably got the term "common time" from thinking that the symbol was a c. Anyway, the symbol comes from church music (as early as Gregorian chant, I think, but I'm not sure). The church considered triple meter to be "perfect" time, and they abbreviated this as a circle, because circles were considered perfect back then. Since triple meter was perfect, everything else was imperfect. And back then I don't think they had fancy time signatures like 12/8. I'm pretty sure they only had 3/4, 4/4, and 2/2. So 4/4, being considered imperfect time, was written as a broken circle. Cut time, "alla breve" was considered like a "half" version of 4/4, kind of like we do today, so they drew a line through the broken circle. Not really that important but it always bugs me when people say it's a c. I know it shouldn't bother me but it does. The more important stuff, now. Here are some things that, with my current knowledge of theory, I look back and wished I had been taught sooner. The first is that the top number is the most important one. I always thought the bottom number was the most important. I'm not sure if all beginners think that it if it was just me. The reason the top number is more important is that it indicates the pulse. There's duple (2), triple (3), and quadruple (4) meter, which are fairly common in western music. The reason that the top number is the most important is because the only difference between 3/2, 3/4, and 3/8 are the note values. 3/4 has the same pulse as 3/2, it's just twice as fast. Since the tempo could be anything, 3/4 and 3/2 could be any speed. 3/4 is only twice as fast in relation to 3/2 if the note lengths are equal (i.e. A quarter note in 3/4 is as fast as a quarter note in 3/2). In compound time, which I'm assuming he'll talk about in the future, the beats are organized into groups, based on pulse. This leads into my next topic, and that's why you can't reduce the fractions. I always wondered why 4/4 was different than 2/2 or 8/8. Now I know why. The simple meters have pulse too, and while 4/4 and 2/2 contain the same length of time, their pulse is different. In general, there's four degrees of pulse (not sure if there are any official terms for this, so I'll just use the terminology that makes sense to me). There's the primary stress, the secondary stress, the tertiary stress, and the unstressed. Tertiary only really comes up in irregular time signatures, and it's hard to explain. If you ever encounter it, you'll just know. But for the most part it's just primary, secondary, and unstressed. Here's the difference between 2/2 (or any time signature with a 2 on top) and 4/4 (or any time signature with a 4 on top). 2/2 contains two beats, a strong beat and a weak beat. The strong beat is the primary stress, and the weak beat could either be considered unstressed or the secondary stress, it just depends on how you view it. The important thing is that it's less than the primary. 4/4 has four beats. The first is the primary, the second is unstressed or tertiary, the third is the secondary, and the fourth is either the unstressed or tertiary, same as the second beat. Did you catch it? There's the difference between the two. 4/4 has four beats and 2/2 has 2 (duh), but because of this, 4/4 contains three different levels of stress (1, 3, 4&2) and 2/2 only has 2 (1 and 2). Oh, and the reason that 8/8 is different from those is that 8/8 is the first that can contain multiple groups of three (since 8>6), so 8/8 always has a compound pulse. If it doesn't, then it's 4/4 (or 2/2) and should be written as such. With figuring out the time signatures, there are those ambiguities between the two, but that's because you can't tell what the stresses are, not because they're equivalent. Usually the context surrounding the measure in question will help to determine whether there are 4 beats or 2, unless the whole thing is ambiguous. In that case, you can't be sure how the composer wanted the piece to be felt, so you write the time signature that you think would fit best.

[@Amatteus]

Wait a moment.. you say remember.. and i do not want to be like a parrot. Why quavers with an 8 means are grouped in three ?.. I do not see the relationship of groups of 3 and the number 8...... Who wanted to inform us that we should group in three with the number 8..? And why number 8?

[@brycegerardj.detomas6629]

Hmm... The names of the notes are in the language English (British) but I don't understand it.... Here are names of the notes in English (United States) form. I memorized it anyway... Whole Note - Semibreve Note Half Note - Minim Note Quarter Note - Crotchet Note Eight Note - Quaver Note Sixteenth Note - Semiquaver Note

[@firstclassroadman4433]

excellent video! just started learning violin and this was just perfect for refreshing my memory

[@stelladavis1798]

The symbol for common time isn't a C and it doesn't represent the first letter in "common time". It's an incomplete circle because when that symbol was created, 3/4 was considered "perfect" time, and was represented with a circle, and 4/4 was considered "imperfect" time: thus, the circle was incomplete. Funny though how the circle for 3/4 never stayed around, I would have liked to use it but no one would know what it meant without a history lesson

[@shushcase]

I understood everything for a second, and I lost it all again

[@musictheoryguy]

Sorry to hear this. Try again, ask questions and don't give up. Wishing you all the best.

[@musictheoryguy]

@theDracoIX Thanks! Glad you found the video useful. Best wishes.

[@Xedilian]

How is anybody suppose to understand any of this without hearing anything? You legit dont give us 1 musical example so how are we suppose to understand time signatures when you dont even list an example. What does a 3/8 sound like? Who knows? guess i'll go find another video were i can here how fast that beat is suppose to sound rather then trying to just assume or guess or imitate.

[@ABC_12367]

thank you so much! i finally understand everything for my music exam!

[@casedinlight]

Isn't every song really just in "1/4" a.k.a. "1/2" a.k.a. "1/8" time? And even then, the top number doesn't matter since you can stick notes in between the beats, or make notes longer.

[@ILoveSoonkyu]

Might be a stupid question but If there's already a designated note value in the Time Signature (eg: 4/4), why is it possible to put other notes in it? Is the note value not absolute? I'm sorry I hope my question makes sense

[@jm7859]

So many teachers in youtube but I found no one who actually good at transferring concepts to their viewers. Knowledge is nothing if you can't explain the entire concept in a simple way. Instead they use too many words and some jargons.

[@alexandre5088]

Could you say that the number at the bottom of the key signature is sort of the standard type of note used in the piece you are playing? And any variations may come as these note being the standard? eg. a whole note is four crotchets, therefore any key signature with x/4 would use the crotchet as its standard. eg.2 a whole note is eight quavers, so any key signature with x/8 would use a quaver as its standard (x is the top number)

[@statikverse]

Your explanations make sense and your pacing is great, only wish there were examples using sounds, though I understanding how this might come off as condescending to those already studying music theory, kinda like how explaining how to count in a fractions class.

[@Yani_122]

Everyone, I think it's pointless to be arguing about what language he is talking in. I'm English and I understand and Americans use different things so you could use another video. There's no need to be rude about what they are saying because they are biritish.

[@sentinautt]

so the bottom = the style, minim, crotchet, etc. but you can also have multiple types within the song? For example crotchets and quavers? This just gave me more questions than answers.

[@milflover2193]

Semibreve = Whole Note = 4 Beats Minim = Half Note = 2 Beats Crotchet = Quarter Note = 1 Beat Quaver = Eighth Note = 1/2 Beat Semi-quaver = Sixteenth Note = 1/4 Beat

[@SilentEchoMatthew]

With the example at 11:33, i understand why the 8 is on the bottom, but why is the 3 on top? I'm really confused. I thought the 3 means there is 3 beats in each measure, but each measure only has 1 and a half beats (one quarter note and one 8th note). I need help!

[@HoldmeZarya]

That's why the 8 is at the bottom--- so there isn't a fraction on the top, and to label the shorter types of notes. I think you're seeing it as 1.5/4

[@tamastasi428]

WHY DOES THE BOTTOM NUMBER OF THE TIME SIGNATURE MATTERS SO MUCH WHEN IN PRACTICE YOU CAN WRITE ANY BEAT INSTEAD, AS LONG AS IT'S VALUE IS EQUAL TO THE TOP NUMBER OF THE TIME SIGNATURE???!!

[@miked2535]

I cannot find the video that was referenced at the begging. I have search for the video titled," Note names and there values and cannot find anything. Can you help me?

[@saurabhmusic2407]

But what is the difference in playing 3/4 and 3/8, 4/4 and 4/8, 6/4 and 6/8, 7/4 and 7/8. Please help🙏🙏

[@xtdycxtfuv9353]

okay FINE i admit, britsh terms for musical notation is bad. however, objectively the metric system is better. so we are even america

[@vskmusic89]

Why don't you upload new videos. I can easily understand everything the way you explain

[@shitlordful]

Altho this was a 12 minute video i spend half an hour studying it and writing it down and trying to work out everything by pausing the video before the explenation and learning how you tackle them and seeing that as a more effective way and honestly it was alot of fun. I really enjoyed the editing in the video that made it easy to follow, the audio and the way you speak is clear, you covered alot and planned out your videos ahead of time and.. well this video is just amazing, passes the test of time and is most possibly one of the best music theory videos on the internet. Im going take a break, watch an episode of anime and then come back and tackle the next video and i feel like this is going be a very quick and effective way of learning for myself, your video is truly something amazing and i wanted to just thank you for making this and I'll probably thank you again when i get to the end of this series. I'll be most definitely recommending this video specifically and if all if your videos are to this quality then you're really doing you're best and i thank you so much Mr Wiles

[@MRJT2006]

Seems to me the bottom number of the time signature is pointless, in each measure you will see the notes and timing of each notes anyways, so why have it written the beginning if each measures going to have a different timing notes?

[@__GALLANT__]

"semibreve" . . "crotchet" . . all fine if you want to limit your tutorial to a British audience. That's about the only country that uses such archaic terms in music.

[@Dcolvin101]

thanks this really helped with my music test!

[@rajarshidasgupta2866]

Why does quavers in group of 2 can't be there in 3/8? Where is your video about beaming

[@taicarter1381]

Not to be that person but do we call these things different names in America cause some of these words I’ve never heard before😂

[@Zalidia]

Holy shit thanks! Now I finally understand how it works. Ur a legend!

[@ABC_12367]

thank you so much!! i didn't even uderstand this music theory at school!! thank you! i finally understand everything for my exam!

[@brandeeno2846]

Can’t understand British, sorry

[@THuang-lt1ob]

You Europeans may have metric, but the US has an undeniable leg up in music terminology

[@mbbarrett5378]

Thank you. I have used several of your videos for studying and references and overall they all helped a lot more than reading it out of a textbook. ( Ps. You kind of sound like LK's Version of kakashi from the spoof series. No insult inteded at all. )

[@demetriushunt9676]

Your Video I understand at some part and not at other parts, So this Video is going to get a thumbs up and go in my playlist. so after I watch another video I'll fully understand what you were saying because you really explained it well. And i appreciated this vid and will be learning more form you.

[@mt31028]

Ayyyy we kinda learning math here

[@meishaforshaw4832]

Help school make no sense it gcse

[@jacko5712]

Watching this 9 years later gang

[@lixthebix5298]

I got confused with the notes names.... ^_^ I have to look look it up in google first...

[@mymilo]

So, does the time signature basically tell you the tempo of the music? If there is an 8 at the bottom, it's faster; if there's a 2, it's slower? I'm teaching myself to play the flute, so I'm learning theory as I go. This channel is the best I've found.

[@musictheoryguy]

The time signature will *never* tell you the tempo. For example, you could play 4/4 fast, slow or crazy fast. The time signature merely tells you: how many beats in a bar and how to count them. All the best, @musictheoryguy

[@mineguitarerer]

I am soooo terrible at this ... Lol

[@DettolObsessed]

Oh shut up.

[@MrSom322]

Best Time Signature video I have seen yet online! Great explanations, love the detail

[@dombomb3544]

This helped a lot, thank you,trying to play the NJAJE to try out for Jazz band. Send Help😖😖😖