Music Fundamentals cont. - Time Signature and Note Values

Vocabulary flashcards covering time signatures, measures, and note values based on the lecture notes.

Time signature

A musical symbol at the start of a piece that shows how many beats are in each measure (top number) and which note value gets one beat (bottom number).

Measure (bar)

A segment of time defined by the time signature, containing a set number of beats; the space between two bar lines.

Top number (in a time signature)

The upper numeral indicating the total number of beats in each measure.

Bottom number (in a time signature)

The lower numeral indicating which note value receives one beat (e.g., 2 = half note, 4 = quarter note, 8 = eighth note).

Quarter note

A note value that gets one beat; often used as the reference beat in common time.

Half note

A note value equal to two beats when the beat unit is the quarter note.

Eighth note

A note value equal to half a beat; two eighth notes equal one quarter note.

Sixteenth note

A note value equal to a quarter of a beat; four sixteenth notes equal one quarter note.

Reference beat / reference note

The note value designated as the beat unit (commonly the quarter note) used to count beats in a measure.

Common time signatures

Frequently used time signatures, such as 4/4 (common time), 3/4 (waltz), and 6/8 (compound meter).

Beat

The steady pulse of music that divides time into equal units; a full beat is counted by the reference note.