Time Signatures II : That Bottom Number!

Ok, so we got the TOP NUMBER of the TIME SIGNATURE down...but, like, what's that BOTTOM NUMBER all about??

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CREDIT:

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

[mcraft]

So to sum everything up (For anyone who is confused about this!)
The video explained that the top number of the Time Signature, tells us how many counts/notes that is in a measure.
The bottom on the other hand is a completely different story, the bottom number tells us what notes are used.


Here are the numbers that corresponds to the bottom of the time signature and what note is used.
1= Whole note
2= Half note
4= Quarter note
8= Eight note
16= Sixteenth note
32= 32nd note


Ex. If you have a Time Signature of 1/1, it tells us that in a measure that there is only one whole note.
Ex 2. If you have a Time Signature of 15/1, it tells us that in a measure there is 15 whole notes.
Ex. 3 If you have a Time Signature of 20/8, it tells us that in a measure there are 20 eight notes.

[wibiapoful]

Wow, this is great, because I get more confused after watching this.

[ceekay]

The way I teach this to my young children students is: I turn the numbers into having faces--the top number sez "I'm a number" and the bottom number sez " I'm a name" Meaning--it would look awkward to write the word 'quarter out underneath the top number. So if there are four beats to a measure, it tells you the value of a note that gets one pulse.

[djstapler]

Me: hey (music teacher) what does the bottom number mean?
Music teacher: *dOnT woRRy AbOut tHaT yet*
Me: ok?

*end of the year*
Me: hey so what does that bottom number mean?
Teacher: you'll learn that next year

*next year*
Me: hey teach, what's this bottom number mean?
(Different teacher): what are you talking about? You learned that last year. Go through your notes

[AlexanderGrap]

I've been studying music theory for years and never understood the time signature until this video. Thank you!!

[smaclifestyle]

It would be 4/4, that’s my answer for the quiz. Once again I have to watch this for class music.

[glowinthedark]

4/4 means 4 notes are possible using a crotchet(quarter note=1/4) before each bar line

5/8 means 5 notes are possible using a quaver(eighth note=1/8) before each bar line

[Mickelraven]

I would've liked to see some more examples where the bottom number isn't 4. I know what 6/8 is, but I'm interested how wacky some time signatures would be if the bottom number was something like 3 or 5 or 7 or 9.

[ginkobiloba]

I have been vomitting blood trying to teach my sibling music for her homeschooling and this thing is really helpful

[ezekielvillacojer]

Well explained and easily to be understood especially today that we're having online class and my teacher sent me a link of a video with the same topic but it was confusing. So thank you!

[PokemonHayley]

These videos have helped me with my music theory. It's quick, concise and right to the point!

[aideencooney]

Pippa says there 4 beats in every bar!! The students of Cooney school of music in lucan love your videos. Keep up the good work, they are a great help to us!! Thank you!

[ewaf]

I saw the first video about the top number then had months of almost sleepless nights punctuated by the same nightmare.

What about the bottom number - what about the bottom number.

Now I think I can finally get some rest - but I changed so much without much sleep that my wife has left me and I've lost my job.

But my life feels fullfilled

[viceandvirtues]

Top number: Total of how many beats in one measure.

Bottom number: How we count the notes in a measure.

4- All notes retain its value
8- All notes double its value since eight note is now counted as one beat.

[PabloPazosGutierrez]

More examples of different bottom numbers would be useful, also not sure why the note that takes one bit is a quarter.

[notherntranceaddict]

Maybe the confusion with the second measure is that it wasn't explained that the length of the half note is increased by half it's value because it's dotted? So the half note becomes the length of a half note + a quarter note, and then the 2 8th notes follow. So 4/4 time signature?

[volcano]

Basically top number means beats in measure

Bottom number is the type of beat, ex 4/4 means one quarter note is one beat or in 6/8 time a eighth note is 1 beat, or in something like 10/16 one sixteenth note would be 1 beat

[phi]

So you basically multiply the bottom number (e.g. 4) with the note (e.g. a quarter note: 1/4) and you get the number of beats this note has in this time signature (4 beats * 1/4 = 1 beat). The top number then basically restricts the amount of beats in a bar

[jefreymalasarte]

its 4/4, maybe some of here they confused at the second bar because the types of notes he used.
correct me if i'm wrong..


every types of notes represent with 2 symbols. First represent with number (the number i have talking about is the bottom number of the time signature)
ex.
whole note represent 1
half note represent 2
quart for 4
eight for 8
on so on


while the second represent with symbol as a note like in the first bar he put the two quart symbols and a half note symbol if we count or clap it like this
clapping: clap clap clap emp | clap emp clap clap clap | clap emp emp emp
counting: 1 2 3 4 | 1 2 3 4 & | 1 2 3 4



thank you for the effort self hahaha

[ziad]

thanks sooo much. i was stuck on this part for a solid couple minutes :)