Time Signatures in Music, How to Read Music Notes, Tutorial, Lesson, How Many Beats are in a Measure

In this lesson you will learn the meaning of time signatures and how they relate to the sheet music you are learning to read. In other words, you'll discover how to count musical notes.

How Time Signatures Work in Music

Music customarily has two numbers at the commencement, one on top of the other. This is called a time signature. The time signature tells how many beats there are in a measure (the space between bar lines), as well as what the prevailing pace (rhythm) of a song will be.

Bar lines are vertical lines that intersect the complete stave at routine intervals. The end of a piece of music is indicated by a double bar line.

The top number of a time signature shows how many beats are in a measure. The bottom number tells the type of note that makes up each beat.

The commonplace time signature in popular music is 4/4 (four beats in each measure, and each beat is made up of a quarter note). Occasionally 4/4 time is indicated with a large "C" centered vertically on the stave at its starting point (which stands for "common time").

More Great Music Reading Tutorials and Tips

How to Read Piano Music Notes - Reading music is one thing but playing it on a keyboard or piano is another.

Understanding Music Symbols - Now that you have learned a little about musical notes here are some additional music symbols you should memorize.

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