These preliminary exercises test your knowledge of :-
- Adding time signatures to an extract with bar lines
- Adding bar-
lines to an extract with a time signature - Adding rests to complete the bar
- Rewriting a passge from one time signature to another
- Compound vs. Simple Time
5
Metre, Time Signature and Rhythm Preliminaries
Time signatures are the combination of metre (e.g. 2 or 3 or 4 in a bar) and the unit of beat.
In simple time, the beat is divided up in two’s (i.e. into half beats, quarter beats, eighth beats etc and combinations of these).
The unit of beat is most often the q (the “crotchet” or “quarter note”).
In compound time, the beat is divided up in three’s (i.e. into third beats, sixth beats etc and combinations of these). The unit of beat is most often the j (the “dotted crotchet” or “dotted quarter note”) which is worth three eighth notes (3 x1/8) i.e. three quavers.
So a metre of “two time” with a unit of beat j gives a time signature of 2 x 3/8 = P
Now try out these exercises that test your knowledge and understanding of metre, time signatures and rhythm up to Grade 4 standard.
