How to use the time signature ear trainer
- Tick at least two time signatures to practise. Start with 3/4, 4/4 and 6/8.
- Choose a tempo and the accent strength. A lower strength makes the first beat less obvious, which is harder.
- Press Play. A click pattern of two to four bars sounds. Press Replay or the R key to hear it again.
- Pick the time signature with a tap, or press the number key shown on its button.
- Read the explanation and the accent pattern for one bar, then press the button for the next pattern.
Your score, streak and per-meter accuracy are kept only while the page is open. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere.
This tool trains meter recognition by ear. To find a tempo by tapping, use the tap tempo tool. To hear a steady click, use the online metronome. To write out rhythms you hear, try the rhythm dictation trainer.
How accents mark the bar
The first click of every bar is the strongest. In longer bars the first click of each later group is a medium accent, and the remaining clicks are weak. Your ear counts the weak clicks between accents, and that count is the meter.
| Time signature | Type | Pulses | Pattern |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2/4 | Simple | 2 | S w |
| 3/4 | Simple | 3 | S w w |
| 4/4 | Simple | 4 | S w m w |
| 6/8 | Compound | 6 | S w w m w w |
| 5/4 | Irregular | 5 | S w w m w, or S w m w w |
| 7/8 | Irregular | 7 | S w m w m w w, or S w w m w m w |
Simple, compound and irregular meters
In a simple meter each beat divides into two, so 2/4, 3/4 and 4/4 count in twos. In a compound meter each beat divides into three, so 6/8 is two beats of three eighth notes. Irregular meters such as 5/4 and 7/8 mix groups of two and three in one bar.
At the same tempo, 3/4 and 6/8 can sound close. The difference is the grouping: 3/4 is three even beats (1 2 3), while 6/8 is two long beats with a rocking triple feel (1 2 3 4 5 6). 2/4 and 4/4 are the hardest pair, because 4/4 is two groups of two.
Common questions
What is the difference between 3/4 and 6/8?
3/4 has three beats, each divided in two. 6/8 has two beats, each divided in three. Listen for the triple rocking feel inside each beat of 6/8 and the even pulse of 3/4.
Why do 2/4 and 4/4 sound so similar?
4/4 is two groups of two, so it sounds like 2/4 played twice with a lighter accent on beat 3. Raise the accent strength to hear the strong accent on beat 1 stand out.
How do I count 5/4 and 7/8?
Group the pulses. 5/4 is 3+2 or 2+3 and 7/8 is 2+2+3 or 3+2+2. Count each group on its own and put your stress on the first count of every group.
Does the tempo change the answer?
No. The time signature describes how beats are grouped, not how fast they go. The same meter can be slow or fast, so judge the accents and not the speed.
Sources
- Open Music Theory: Simple meter and time signatures: Simple meters and how beats divide in two.
- Open Music Theory: Compound meters and time signatures: Compound meters, including 6/8.
- Time signature, reference article: Simple, compound and irregular (asymmetric) meters.