From the course: Music Theory for Songwriters: Rhythm

Common time and 3/4 time

From the course: Music Theory for Songwriters: Rhythm

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Common time and 3/4 time

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- Earlier in this course we discussed measures. A measure is a length of time based on the tempo we've chosen, and we count to subdivide the measure into smaller pieces. If we subdivide a measure into four pieces, we say there are four beats in the measure, and a quarter note gets one beat. Why, well, each beat is a quarter note because each one takes up 1/4, or a quarter, of the measure. In music notation we call this common time, or four-four, and mark it that way on music staff paper with a small C, or with a four over a four. This is called a time signature, or meter. The C stands for common time, and four over four literally translates into there are four beats in the measure, and a quarter note gets one beat. When you see it written in musical notation this is called a time signature, or meter signature. However, when we're talking about time signatures you can simply say four-four time, or common time, or the meter is four-four. All of the examples I've used so far in this course have been in common, or in four-four time. Remember our simple beat from earlier in the course? It goes like this. (rhythmic drum music) Counting it out, it's one, two, three, and four. One, two, three, and four. What if we don't want four beats in a measure? What if the music we're creating only calls for three beats in a measure? Well, no problemo. If there are three beats in a measure and a quarter note still gets one beat, then we have three-four time, and we simply count, one, two, three, one, two, three. (rhythmic drumming) One, two, three. One, two, three. Another more common beat on three-four time is like this. (rhythmic drumming) One, two, three, one, two, three. Three-four time is common for waltzes, ballads, and even some hymns, like Amazing Grace. One, two, three, one, two, three. ♫ Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound Three-four is sometimes called triple meter. Again, time signatures are also called meters and these terms are often used interchangeably. Time signatures are the foundations of your songs, and can affect the rhythmic feel of the entire song.

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