Essential Music Theory How to read music
Essential Music Theory How to read music
The top number of a time signature shows how many beats are in each bar. The bottom number refers to the type of note each beat represents. In the case of a time signature of 4/4 this means that there are four beats in the bar and each beat is worth the value of a quarter note (4 x 1/4 = 4/4).
A time signature of 6/8 would therefore mean that the music has the equivalent of six eighth notes in a bar (6 x 1/8 = 6/8). Let us look at note values in depth to explain what this means…
Next: Note values