Explanation of 3/2 time signature – the bottom number determines the unit of time. We can visually translate like this: That is to say that there are 3 half notes (minims ) per measure and the unit of time is the half note (a beat corresponds to one half note):

A time signature of 2-2 means there are 2 half beats in each measure. A time signature of 6-8 means there are 6 eighth notes in each measure.

A time signature tells you how the music is to be counted. The time signature is written at the beginning of the staff after the clef and key signature. Time signatures consist of two numbers written like a fraction. The top number of the time signature tells you how many beats to count.

In 2/2 meter (alla breve) the whole note is still four quarter notes, but only two beats since a beat then is a half note. Conversely, in 12/8 meter, a whole note would be 8 beats long but rarely written as such: it would be more common to tie two half notes.

The top number of compound time signatures is commonly 6, 9, or 12 (multiples of 3), and the most common time signatures you will see are 6/8, 9/8, and 12/8.

3/2 and 3/8 are also simple triple. 4/4 time is classified as simple quadruple due to its four beats which can be divided into two notes. 4/2 and 4/8 are also simple quadruple.

The time signature is 3/8. (Notice that 3/8 is simple time, not compound, even though the lower number is 8.

In 3/8 time, there is one beat in each bar (one dotted crochet) and each beat feels like it’s in three – you can split each beat up into three quavers. In 3/4 time, there are three beats in each bar, and each beat feels like it’s in two – you can split each beat up into two quavers.

half note

A half note lasts for 2 beats (half of a whole note). A stem is added to the hollow circle to form the half note symbol. A half rest lasts for two 2 beats.

quarter note

In 6/8 time, an eighth note gets one beat, and there are 6 beats per measure.

4 beats

four sixteenth notes

Different beats There are a variety of rhythms possible on the drum. The 8-beat rhythm is made up of eighth notes, while a 16-beat rhythm has twice as many beats as an 8-beat rhythm. There are a variety of beats-such as the shuffle, samba, bossa nova-found in different musical genres.

Sixteenth note (Semiquaver) The Sixteenth note is worth ¼ of a Quarter note. It may be beamed together in the same way as the eighth note. It changes from the eighth note by having an additional flag.

Sixteenth notes (semiquavers) are notated with an oval, filled-in note head. They have a straight stem and two flags. (They look almost like eighth notes, except that eighth notes have one flag). If the notes are on or above the middle line, the notes are drawn with stems on the left of the notehead, facing down.

Sixteenth notes are notated with an oval, filled-in note head and a straight note stem with two flags (see Figure 1). A single sixteenth note is always stemmed with flags, while two or more are usually beamed in groups.

Sixteenth Notes are grouped by beat. For example, in a meter where the quarter note gets a beat, a maximum of four sixteenth notes should be grouped together. If a dotted quarter note gets a beat, a maximum of six sixteenth notes can be grouped together.