Time signatures explained for pianists: how to count and feel each one
A time signature has two numbers. The top number says how many beats are in each bar, and the bottom number says which note value counts as one beat: 4 means a quarter note, 8 an eighth note and 2 a half note. In simple time each beat divides into two, as in 4/4, 3/4 and 2/2. In compound time, such as 6/8, each beat divides into three.
What the two numbers mean
The time signature sits at the start of the piece, after the clef and key signature, and again wherever the meter changes. It divides the music into bars (measures) of equal length and tells you how to group the beats inside each one.
- Top number: how many beats are in each bar.
- Bottom number: which note value is one beat. 1 is a whole note, 2 a half note, 4 a quarter note, 8 an eighth note and 16 a sixteenth note.
- 3/4 therefore means three quarter-note beats per bar. 2/2 means two half-note beats. 6/8 is written with six eighth notes in a bar, but it is usually felt as two beats, as explained below.
The first beat of the bar is the strongest. In longer bars there are secondary accents, which are the pattern your hands should feel even when no accent mark is written.
Simple versus compound time
Simple time splits every beat into two equal parts: a quarter-note beat becomes two eighths, counted "1 and 2 and". The top number is 2, 3 or 4, and the common meters are 2/4, 3/4, 4/4 and 2/2. Compound time splits every beat into three: the beat is a dotted note, and the top number is 6, 9 or 12. In 6/8 there are two dotted-quarter beats, each holding three eighth notes, counted "1 la li 2 la li".
| Time signature | Type | Beat unit | Beats per bar | Each beat divides into |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2/4 | simple duple | quarter | 2 | 2 eighths |
| 3/4 | simple triple | quarter | 3 | 2 eighths |
| 4/4 | simple quadruple | quarter | 4 | 2 eighths |
| 2/2 | simple duple | half | 2 | 2 quarters |
| 6/8 | compound duple | dotted quarter | 2 | 3 eighths |
| 9/8 | compound triple | dotted quarter | 3 | 3 eighths |
| 12/8 | compound quadruple | dotted quarter | 4 | 3 eighths |
4/4: four quarter-note beats
4/4 is also called common time and may be written as a large C. Count "1 2 3 4" with the strongest beat on 1 and a secondary accent on 3. It is the default in most pop, rock and a large amount of classical music. Bach's Prelude in C major from the first book of The Well-Tempered Clavier and the melody of Beethoven's Ode to Joy are both in 4/4. At the piano, feel the pulse by keeping the left hand steady on 1 and 3 while the right hand plays the melody.
3/4: the waltz
Three quarter-note beats, counted "1 2 3" with a strong 1 and two lighter beats after it. Think of the pattern as "ONE two three". Chopin's Minute Waltz (Op. 64 No. 1) and the song Happy Birthday are in 3/4. In waltz accompaniment the left hand plays a low bass note on 1 and chords on 2 and 3, so the pulse is built into the left hand. Practise the left hand alone until the bass-chord-chord shape is automatic.
2/2: cut time
Two half-note beats per bar, sometimes shown as a C with a vertical line through it, also called alla breve or cut time. The bar holds the same total length as 4/4, but you feel two big beats instead of four small ones, which is why fast music is often written this way. Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata first movement is in cut time. Count "1 2" and let each beat be a half note, so the pulse moves slowly even when there are many small notes inside it.
6/8: two beats of three
Six eighth notes per bar, grouped 3 + 3. The strong beats fall on the first and fourth eighth, so count "ONE two three FOUR five six". It sounds like a gentle rocking or a lilt. Row, Row, Row Your Boat and many folk songs, including Greensleeves in common settings, use it. The metronome trap is to set the click to the eighth note: set it to the dotted quarter instead so you feel two big beats rather than six small ones.
5/4: a bar of 3 + 2 or 2 + 3
Five quarter-note beats do not divide evenly, so the bar is felt as a group of three and a group of two. Holst's Mars from The Planets is in 5/4, and so is the Dave Brubeck Quartet's Take Five, counted "ONE two three FOUR five". Check the printed accents or beaming: the grouping decides where your weight falls, and counting "1 2 3 4 5" evenly makes the piece sound like it has no centre.
How to feel the pulse at the piano
- Tap or step the beat first. Walk to the beat, or tap it with your foot, while you say the counts out loud.
- Say the counts over the rhythm. Speak the bar with the real rhythm of the right hand before you play any pitch.
- Add the left hand alone. It usually carries the pulse, so make that pattern secure first.
- Put a metronome on the beat unit: quarter for 4/4 and 3/4, half for 2/2, dotted quarter for 6/8.
- Play with a gentle accent on beat 1, then remove the accent but keep the feeling.
A hands-together counting example
In 4/4 with the left hand playing a whole note and the right hand playing four quarter notes, the left hand holds for four beats while the right hand lands on each number. In 3/4 with a dotted half note in the left hand and three quarter notes in the right, the left hand presses on beat 1 and holds through the whole bar while the right hand lands on 1, 2 and 3. When hands disagree, count out loud and put the notes where the numbers say.
| Meter | Count | Strong beats | Metronome click on |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4/4 | 1 2 3 4 | 1 (strong), 3 (medium) | quarter note |
| 3/4 | 1 2 3 | 1 | quarter note |
| 2/2 | 1 2 | 1 | half note |
| 6/8 | 1 2 3 4 5 6 | 1 and 4 | dotted quarter |
| 5/4 | 1 2 3 4 5 | 1 and 4 (3 + 2) or 1 and 3 (2 + 3) | quarter note, with the grouping accented |
Common mistakes
- Treating 6/8 as 3/4. Both have six eighths in a bar, but 3/4 is felt as three beats of two and 6/8 as two beats of three.
- Ignoring the bottom number. The same top number means different lengths over 2, 4 and 8.
- Rushing the rests. Count them as carefully as notes.
- Counting 5/4 as five identical beats instead of 3 + 2.
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Frequently asked questions
What do the two numbers in a time signature mean?
The top number is how many beats are in each bar. The bottom number is the note value that counts as one beat: 4 for a quarter note, 8 for an eighth note and 2 for a half note.
What is the difference between 3/4 and 6/8?
3/4 has three quarter-note beats, each splitting into two, counted 1 2 3. 6/8 has two dotted-quarter beats, each splitting into three, counted 1 2 3 4 5 6 with accents on 1 and 4. The bars are the same length but the pulse differs.
What does the C symbol mean in a time signature?
A plain C means common time, which is 4/4. A C with a vertical line through it means cut time, which is 2/2.
How do I count 5/4?
Group the five beats as 3 + 2 or 2 + 3, depending on the music, for example ONE two three FOUR five. The accents and note grouping on the page show which one applies.
Which note should the metronome click on in 6/8?
Usually the dotted quarter note, so you feel two beats per bar. Slow music may use the eighth note as the click, but the two-beat feel is the usual starting point.
Do I need to know the time signature before I play?
Yes. Read it with the key signature before you start, say the counts for one bar, then play. It determines how every note and rest is counted.