Time Signatures Explained for Beginners - my formula to figure out any time signature!

  Переглядів 160,168

Ruairi Glasheen

Ruairi Glasheen

День тому

In this video i'll explain how time signatures work for beginners or those looking for a quick refresher on how to approach any time signature you might encounter in a piece of music.
I'm Ruairi, and I'm a London based percussionist and composer and make tutorials and documentaries about music.
Timestamps:
00:00 : Intro
0:40 : The top number
1:08 : What is a bar in music?
1:33 : The bottom number
1:58 : The most common examples
3:35 : My formula for identifying time signatures
3:45 : Irregular time signatures
5:00 : Common time and cut-common time
6:24 : Time signatures with 32 on the bottom
🚀 More about me and sign up to my newsletter here - www.RuairiGlasheen.net
🎥 Learn about my documentary series here - www.HiddenDrummers.com
🎵 Say HI on Facebook - / ruairiglasheenmusic
📸 Find me on Instagram - / ruairi_glasheen
🐦 Tweet me on Twitter - / ruairi_glasheen
©Ruairi Glasheen 2020

КОМЕНТАРІ: 176
@bodhran
@bodhran 3 роки тому
Thanks for checking out my video on time signatures in music! Don't hesitate to ask me any questions in the comments and let me know what you think of my tutorial!
@George_D777
@George_D777 Рік тому
Thank you for your explanation, good video. Fwiw, though, giving actual musical examples would've been far more effective.
@amandasolberg9403
@amandasolberg9403 8 місяців тому
Where is your video on the pulse of music? I’m so confused about 2/2 being faster than 4/4 because I would think music where half notes get one beat would be slower. I heard some music earlier tonight I thought would be 4/2 because it was slow (what sounded like two beats for one beat to me) and four beats in a bar. Thank you! If you can point me in the direction of your pulse of music video I will watch it.
@clairejohansen
@clairejohansen 4 місяці тому
Yes, I think demonstrating the beats on the piano would have made the explanations much more helpful, though the explanations were great.@@George_D777
@SonOfTheMostHigh601
@SonOfTheMostHigh601 2 місяці тому
Please I would like you to do a video showing the difference of the time signatures let me know how it sounds like.. Even though am just seeing this video for the first time after 2years that you've posted it 😂
@paulchristie8452
@paulchristie8452 Місяць тому
So what would be an orchestra conductor equivalent shredding on a musical instrument? In other words, what would be the most complicated conducting and what would look like?
@ariellelionessofYah
@ariellelionessofYah 3 роки тому
Can you do a video giving musical examples of some time signatures? Would love to actually HEAR the differences. Thank you!
@maryhowe-watson3488
@maryhowe-watson3488 3 роки тому
I agree, please give examples so we can hear
@judytat5621
@judytat5621 Рік тому
Exactly, I still didn't understand almost anything
@c1ph3rpunk
@c1ph3rpunk 7 місяців тому
@@GaryShayneif my high school music theory serves me, and it’s been nearly 40 years, it goes back to how music notation evolved in England, back in the monastic period when it was mainly monks recording the music on paper. Heavy Latin roots given the period, which makes sense, and inevitably connected to religion. Then the Protestant reformation happened (hello Germany), many left for the new world (the US) and took newer nomenclature with them. You’ll interestingly find similar naming differences in hand tools, the English names & words go back to Roman words, via medieval ones, whereas many in the US root in German. If you’ve ever had a music theory teacher that studied in the UK, or even in parts of Europe, they’ll often “accidentally” fall back on those terms, mine did. I sometimes revert to things like quaver when speaking about modes, I mean, we do have the English & European monks to thank for them. Nearly all modern music theory can be traced back to them. Religion & beer, the things that shaped how much of society…
@SonOfTheMostHigh601
@SonOfTheMostHigh601 2 місяці тому
Yeah I would like that please.. Even though am just seeing this video after 2years 😂
@gabrielcunneen2863
@gabrielcunneen2863 Рік тому
Your amazing man THIS is how music should be taught in theory classes. Earned yourself a sub 😎
@bodhran
@bodhran Рік тому
Awesome - thanks Gabriel!
@pigeonbrainiv3863
@pigeonbrainiv3863 Рік тому
this video helped way more than my real life music teacher, thank you so much
@bodhran
@bodhran Рік тому
So glad it helped!
@alancooper7018
@alancooper7018 Рік тому
Brilliantly explained, this has suddenly become clear. Thank you
@omgheygio
@omgheygio 10 місяців тому
thank you so much for this video!! you were the only one who got me to understand what the bottom number means 😅🙏
@arnoldmagnuson361
@arnoldmagnuson361 Рік тому
Good informative video mate! Would like to see a video in which one can indetify those time signatures in a song. Give examples of odd time songs, and count them out to identity the time signature.
@ValLance-qg3ul
@ValLance-qg3ul 7 місяців тому
Very well explained - thank you
@rightgirlwrongplanet
@rightgirlwrongplanet Місяць тому
this was a brilliant video. Probably the best one for explanations. Thank you for making the video
@Kizzieis_weird13
@Kizzieis_weird13 6 місяців тому
Thank you so much for this! It makes so much more sense now!
@eishercherigo3084
@eishercherigo3084 11 місяців тому
Eloy Casagrande's english has improved a lot.
@annettemonkey1998
@annettemonkey1998 5 місяців тому
Great video. Very informative and helpful. Thankyou. Would love to hear more of your music theory videos. You are the best I have heard.👍❤
@bodhran
@bodhran 5 місяців тому
Thanks for the kind words. More to come!
@garyneildenney1637
@garyneildenney1637 Рік тому
The best explanation that I have ever seen. No one would/could ever explain this to me. I am very grateful, thank you
@bodhran
@bodhran Рік тому
Glad it was helpful!
@garyneildenney1637
@garyneildenney1637 Рік тому
@@bodhran first time it ever made sense
@theresasimmons9007
@theresasimmons9007 Рік тому
Just subscribed to your channel. You can recognize the mark of a really good teacher! One who can explain something that sounds difficult and make it easy..Thank you! 👏😍
@bodhran
@bodhran Рік тому
Wow, thank you, thats really kind of you to say Theresa! 🙏
@ronaldoaquino8786
@ronaldoaquino8786 Рік тому
You have the clearest explanation. Thank you Sir!
@bodhran
@bodhran Рік тому
You are welcome Ronaldo!
@jacobeth7103
@jacobeth7103 Місяць тому
This is the best video ever! I have never felt this reassured
@TheShakina
@TheShakina Рік тому
Thank you Ruairi. This video was very informative :)
@mikenco
@mikenco 3 роки тому
More great content, thank you Ruairi! I'll need to look up some video examples of some of these to fully understand them, I think.
@bodhran
@bodhran 3 роки тому
Thanks for the kind words! Glad you found it a good starting point! R
@s84216
@s84216 2 роки тому
This is great - thank you for detailing this!
@bodhran
@bodhran 2 роки тому
You're very welcome!
@woodyrulesok
@woodyrulesok 2 місяці тому
this is a good explanation, would be great to hear an example beat with each time signature to see (hear) the difference
@nevillejordan
@nevillejordan Рік тому
Clear, concise and cogent ! Great video & thank you from New Zealand
@bodhran
@bodhran Рік тому
Awesome - thanks Neville!
@wells6351
@wells6351 8 місяців тому
Thanks for the easy to understand explanation!!!
@gabriellalloyd9247
@gabriellalloyd9247 5 місяців тому
Thank u so much im starting to slightly understand now and this will help me when i play the piano😊❤
@curtpiazza1688
@curtpiazza1688 Рік тому
Great quick lesson!
@ocomofuma
@ocomofuma Рік тому
Amazing.. Thanks
@jenibylsma9845
@jenibylsma9845 3 роки тому
Very well explained! Thanks so much for another awesome video! :)
@bodhran
@bodhran 3 роки тому
Thanks Jeni!
@becfowler_creatingaliveness
@becfowler_creatingaliveness Рік тому
Very helpful!
@toddshook1765
@toddshook1765 Рік тому
Thanks for your video. I remember some things from beginning band but you helped me understand. I have been practicing the bass guitar and the mandolin. Lately been watching drumming videos and trying to understand the timing used in drums.
@bodhran
@bodhran Рік тому
Awesome Todd!
@rohanchung2185
@rohanchung2185 10 місяців тому
Helpful tutorial. Thanks much.
@3dartstudent973
@3dartstudent973 Рік тому
The best explanation ever, before watching this viduo i was so confused about the down no., it was more clear when u gave couple of examples, thanku
@bodhran
@bodhran Рік тому
Very glad it helped! Thanks for the kind words
@naynayw
@naynayw Рік тому
Great explanation thanks!
@letshuman8985
@letshuman8985 7 місяців тому
What an amazing video! Thank you.
@bodhran
@bodhran 7 місяців тому
Glad you found it helpful!
@wannienshobole1647
@wannienshobole1647 5 місяців тому
Thank you ❤❤
@breezy7537
@breezy7537 4 місяці тому
Amazing lesson !
@pereziahenterprise1368
@pereziahenterprise1368 Рік тому
Wow well explained
@AzJr.
@AzJr. 4 місяці тому
thank you for enlighten me for what i am confused !
@BUZZYBUZZIE
@BUZZYBUZZIE Рік тому
Well done good explanation
@danieleoduro3829
@danieleoduro3829 Рік тому
subscribed Sir! The simplicity of your explanation!!! How I wish to have you as my teacher!!
@bodhran
@bodhran Рік тому
Thank you Daniele, and welcome! 🌟
@ThaGoofyOne
@ThaGoofyOne 5 місяців тому
Thank you sir, you really helped me alot with studying for exam
@bodhran
@bodhran 5 місяців тому
Glad to hear that! Hope it goes well!
@KPKomal
@KPKomal 25 днів тому
Love from India❤..thank you for lesson
@maureengrant9077
@maureengrant9077 Рік тому
Another great lesson. I am so impressed with how clearly you explain things. Thanks Ruairi.
@bodhran
@bodhran Рік тому
You're very welcome Maureen, and thanks for the kind words!
@priyanthaherath-ek4bd
@priyanthaherath-ek4bd 2 місяці тому
I finally understood time signatures because of this video thank you so much,dude now I can ace my test
@sarahraigurung3800
@sarahraigurung3800 11 місяців тому
Very helpful thanx😊
@LucaS-fj2vh
@LucaS-fj2vh 2 роки тому
Wow, this was really helpful Ruairi, thank you so much. Struggling with the 5/8🤷🏼‍♂️😂
@elankhamanicastillo
@elankhamanicastillo Рік тому
this helped so much! thank you
@bodhran
@bodhran Рік тому
Glad it helped Elan!
@silviutulbya7424
@silviutulbya7424 Рік тому
This is the best video on this that I've seen
@bodhran
@bodhran Рік тому
So glad to hear its been helpful - more on the way!
@CasIsCuriousAboutScience
@CasIsCuriousAboutScience Місяць тому
Seven quavers, seven quasars... Oh! Thanks for giving the signature idea for my future song~! Seven Quasars!
@pozoc9127
@pozoc9127 Рік тому
Thank you so much finnaly understand !
@gopakumarradhakrishnan7074
@gopakumarradhakrishnan7074 7 місяців тому
good info... good class
@bodhran
@bodhran 7 місяців тому
Glad it was helpful!
@joyceowusuampong3547
@joyceowusuampong3547 Рік тому
I don't still get the bottom ones but I still appreciate this video
@sparkyvonplinsky8105
@sparkyvonplinsky8105 Рік тому
Thank you so much!
@bodhran
@bodhran Рік тому
You're welcome!
@beautyhaven1
@beautyhaven1 Рік тому
Excellent thank-you
@bodhran
@bodhran Рік тому
You are welcome!
@Vanessa-nx2lp
@Vanessa-nx2lp 7 місяців тому
Thank you very much Sir, I'm teaching Music in Elementary and your video is of great help for me.
@bodhran
@bodhran 7 місяців тому
Glad to hear that!
@Vanessa-nx2lp
@Vanessa-nx2lp 7 місяців тому
@@bodhran watching from Philippines !
@aaravpatel5980
@aaravpatel5980 Місяць тому
I love this helped me so much with my music homework UR THE GOAT OF MUSIC MATE (Btw goat means greatest of all time)
@bodhran
@bodhran Місяць тому
🐐🤣
@drazzrok1576
@drazzrok1576 3 місяці тому
Omg thank you so much... i just started with piano again after 10 years break to give it another try and i didn't understand what the bottom number means... thats why i stopped it 10 years ago. i got so confused. You just needed some seconds to explain it. No other video helped me so much ❤
@bodhran
@bodhran 3 місяці тому
You are very welcome! Wishing you the best with your next musical chapter :)
@jaedennnn
@jaedennnn 6 місяців тому
thank u sir 😘😘😘
@judearuffin7921
@judearuffin7921 7 місяців тому
Oooooooooohhhhhh..... THANK YOU!!!!
@bodhran
@bodhran 7 місяців тому
You are welcome!
@isaacobiero296
@isaacobiero296 Рік тому
Wow I have got a better understanding of time signature, now I need examples
@ROMEODICE257
@ROMEODICE257 6 місяців тому
Final I get it thanks 👍
@hyunjinsarms
@hyunjinsarms 3 місяці тому
I'm learning music in french but watch lessons in english as well and thank you for including images of what 8th notes quarter notes etc are because in french we just call them by color so it was so confusing to me
@panthiyearachchigedhammika2518
@panthiyearachchigedhammika2518 8 місяців тому
Can you give a video how about the nature or the sound of a time signature in piano
@vm995
@vm995 Місяць тому
Hey can you make a video with the beats playing as well as we talk about them
@a-ms9760
@a-ms9760 7 місяців тому
Thanks
@michaelmarve2218
@michaelmarve2218 4 місяці тому
Great video
@bodhran
@bodhran 4 місяці тому
Glad you enjoyed it
@aehvenjulliansaldua3828
@aehvenjulliansaldua3828 6 місяців тому
im a grade 5 with a grade 6 book this video made me understand this more! thanks
@simonmellor4553
@simonmellor4553 3 місяці тому
clear as mud
@paulaoh5306
@paulaoh5306 Місяць тому
Great! You should include waltz time, 3/4, which is common and can be difficult to understand.
@joelsookraj7767
@joelsookraj7767 Рік тому
Tks🎉🎉🎉🎉 I learned a lot my music teacher is scary and I can't understand anything he teach😢😢😢 but I understand now🎉🎉🎉🎉
@barbaralevittwarren9809
@barbaralevittwarren9809 3 роки тому
It would be good to hear the sound of the different time signatures to really begin to understand. Can you play a 4/36 slowly in theory or is the beat always faster with shorter notes in the bar? Ok if I seem dense, not proud!
@bodhran
@bodhran 3 роки тому
Great question! Technically you could play 4/36, or any /36 time sig slowly though I the implication is that its fast as its counted in semiquavers so smaller subdivisions. Not dense at all - its interesting!
@ariburling1751
@ariburling1751 8 місяців тому
I loved this tutorial - thank you. Is there any way in the world you would consent to helping me identify a beat i'm working on and can't figure out?I am a bass player thats been tasked with programing drums and I'm in way over my head
@papanasu
@papanasu Рік тому
I don't understand why none of these videos explaining time signatures give any examples of what the different signatures sound like. It would be so helpful. Otherwise, great video & thank you for the lesson!
@wells6351
@wells6351 8 місяців тому
Cobb the drummer does if you haven’t found him already
@eunicenkechi4340
@eunicenkechi4340 Рік тому
Please make a video on what to know before a person can be able to compose songs
@vivianfrancis6263
@vivianfrancis6263 3 місяці тому
Thanks well explained sir. It would be nice if u help us understand by either tapping or using an instrument so it made better sense. Thanks ❤
@fennarios
@fennarios 3 роки тому
0:57 I was waiting for the 27 dots!
@bodhran
@bodhran 3 роки тому
Hahahaha! I considered it 🤓😂
@roscoej
@roscoej 2 роки тому
Minums, crochets, quavers, semi-quavers .. I have never heard these designations before! Learn something everyday .. I guess from the folks that gave us yards, feet, inches, pounds, tons! I wonder are there metric music time notations?
@lukeoxley7548
@lukeoxley7548 9 місяців тому
Thanks! I'm rehearsing for Les Miserables (actor) and I can't read music, so this helps me a lot. I noticed that generally in my Lebretto, I see 6:3 in the notes, but I also see 72 Moderator above the notes. This confuses me. Would you be able to explain?
@ktmp875
@ktmp875 Рік тому
LOVE IT! THANK YOU!
@Druz.
@Druz. Місяць тому
Make a video about value of time signature
@arunavasutar2464
@arunavasutar2464 Рік тому
The theory is the Very good to understand but it will best if shows with practicals.
@anniedarkhorse6791
@anniedarkhorse6791 3 місяці тому
Hi. Great video. This is confusing. Is there such a thing as 8/8? I think the song I'm writing is in this time signature.
@zensekar
@zensekar 6 місяців тому
❤😂🎉great
@LandsOfDespair
@LandsOfDespair Рік тому
Thank you for a great explanation! :) But I still have a question: if we have 4|4, then 4*1/4 = 1 whole note. Does this mean that each bar's 100% is the whole 1 note in duration? And then, in 4|2 we have 4 half notes, but it is more that 1 whole in total for a bar, basically 4*1/2 = 2 whole note durations in a single bar On 5|4 etc How do you "fit" more notes/durations in a bar with these signatures? Where first number is bigger than second :) Thank you in advance for an answer!
@rhyssharples8177
@rhyssharples8177 11 місяців тому
Was wondering the exact same thing…🧐
@thesilence250
@thesilence250 7 місяців тому
I guess he is wrong in this case.was thinking d same.
@bakingbread012
@bakingbread012 2 місяці тому
With a pulse of 60 bpm, for example, I have two different time signatures, 4/2 and 4/4. Will a half-note have the same duration (i.e., value) as a quarter-note? Sorry if that was confusing.
@ezatialfred7084
@ezatialfred7084 Рік тому
Thank u very much. I can write and have ever written church music in solfa notation but i can't read nor type in staff notation. I don't understand it. These terms of staff music; crochet,quaver,minim...confuse me
@TheMeJustMe75
@TheMeJustMe75 Рік тому
I have been writing music on guitar for a long time and never really gave time signature a thought. Now that I am writing things out, I realized I don't have a clue.
@georgeosborn421
@georgeosborn421 3 місяці тому
My next question is does the time signature change the length of time for which someone plays a bar. Is that denoted by the speed written on the sheet e.g. one crotchet = 96 ?
@arougyathami
@arougyathami 29 днів тому
When the lower number is 2 which indicates Minim beates. Dose the Value of Minim Changes to 1 beat ? For Example if their is 3/2 time signature we will have 3 Minims but then the total count of beats would be 8. So Dose the Value of note decreases would u pls explain 🙏🙏
@ABentPaperclip
@ABentPaperclip 9 місяців тому
great info in this video! One thing that has been burning a hole in my brain though- why is a quarter note called a quarter note in 3/4 time- wouldn't it be a third note!?
@bodhran
@bodhran 9 місяців тому
probably why many call them crotchets!
@dxzxax8772
@dxzxax8772 8 місяців тому
Great video, but wouldn't a cut time piece be slow? Not fast like you said @5:46. Isn't it counting a slow 1...2...1...2...
@Lizardwizard2112
@Lizardwizard2112 Рік тому
I’m trying to write a song right now but I’m kind of a beginner to it all, and the problem I’m having is finding the time signature that the song I’m writing is. How would I do that by ear?
@faithkevin1504
@faithkevin1504 Рік тому
The video made time signature easy to understand
@bodhran
@bodhran Рік тому
Glad to hear it!
@yanli3738
@yanli3738 9 місяців тому
😊
@DartFN685
@DartFN685 4 місяці тому
Do the notes have to sum up to the bottom number?
@grantcameron194
@grantcameron194 3 місяці тому
Feels like there are some missing “why” questions. Why is there the concept of a measure, for instance? If I knew why I need a measure, then it might make more sense why I specify the number of beats and the notation for the beat. Which leads to the question of why is the notation specifier (the bottom number) mixed up with how beats should be partitioned (the measure). I’m going to guess that the purpose of all this stuff is to make music easy to read - and probably nothing else. I can write a “measure” of 6 32nd notes or equivalently a measure of 6 1/4 notes. The latter has a lot less fluff. I am also guessing that when there is a mixed time signature like 4:4 going to 3:4 that the actual time duration of the bottom number beat type doesn’t change. Again it is easier to read if you can now re-chunk the number of beats. There’s a lot more that can be said such as the time signature specifying (mysteriously) how beats are accented. I’m going back to my original hypothesis that it’s all about making sight reading as easy as possible. Regarding accents, they could be specified note for note, but if you specify it as 3:4 time and you know it’s a waltz, you can fill in all the accents yourself. Or, in the first measure show that the first beat is to be accented in all the measures.
@zeldafan1o0o0o0o0o0o
@zeldafan1o0o0o0o0o0o Рік тому
So i dont quite understand i dont think so 4:4 would be 1,2 3,4 and 4:8 would be 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and. Is that right?
@palacio8288
@palacio8288 28 днів тому
im confused, you say that 4/2 is equivalent to 4 minims per bar, but, the minims last (if im not bad) 2 times or pulse, so how can 4/2 be 4 minims per bar if each of them last two times, I'm a beginner at this btw, So if I'm wrong I would love an explanation from you and a correction from you, really.
@cesartorres7810
@cesartorres7810 Рік тому
my adhd won't let me memorize this
@S_O_G_music
@S_O_G_music Місяць тому
It's like trying to look left while looking right, dattebayo
@gulesertugrul68
@gulesertugrul68 3 роки тому
Türkçe altyazı alabilir miyiz 😁
@brianriback6285
@brianriback6285 4 місяці тому
What about 7/8 vs 7/16?
@karigreyd2808
@karigreyd2808 11 місяців тому
What’s the difference between a 1/4 not and a 1/2 note etc.
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