The time signature (also known as meter signature) is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats are in each measure and which note value constitutes one beat.
In a musical score, the time signature appears at the beginning of the piece, as a time symbol or stacked numerals (such as or 3
4) (read "common time" and "three four time", respectively) immediately following the key signature (or immediately following the clef if the key signature is empty). A mid-score time signature, usually immediately following a barline, indicates a change of meter.
There are various types of time signatures, depending on whether the music follows simple rhythms or involves unusual shifting tempos, including: simple (such as 3
4 or 4
4), compound (e.g., 9
8 or 12
8), complex (e.g., 5
4 or 7
8), mixed (e.g., 5
8 & 3
8 or 6
8 or 3
4), additive (e.g., 3+2+3
8), fractional (e.g., 2½
4), irrational meters (e.g., 3
10 or 5
24), or other meters.
Read more about Time Signature: Simple Time Signatures, Compound Time Signatures, Beat and Time, Most Frequent Time Signatures, Complex Time Signatures, Mixed Meters, Irrational Meters
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