Simple Meter and Time Signatures

Meter organizes beats into recurring groups. In simple meter, each beat divides naturally into two equal parts. The most common simple meters are duple (groups of 2), triple (groups of 3), and quadruple (groups of 4). Listeners perceive the first beat of each group as an accent, giving music its characteristic pulse.

A time signature appears at the beginning of a staff as two numbers stacked vertically. In simple meter, the top number tells how many beats are in each measure (2, 3, or 4), and the bottom number tells which note value receives one beat (4 = quarter note, 2 = half note, 8 = eighth note). So 4/4 means four quarter-note beats per measure, and 3/4 means three quarter-note beats.

4/4 (also written as C for common time) is the most prevalent meter in Western music. 2/4 and 2/2 (cut time, written as a C with a vertical line) are common in marches and quick dance music. 3/4 is typical of waltzes. Reading a time signature correctly determines how beats are counted and how rhythms are beamed and grouped within each measure.