I’m having difficulty understanding certain time signatures. For example, 4/4, means 4 beats per measure or 4 quarter notes per measure. 3/4 would be 3 quarter notes per measure. That’s easy.
What about 2/4? Can I think of this as a combination of two bars with two beats each, meaning it’s half of 4/4?
I have some sheet music with 9/8, 6/4, 5/4 and 12/8. I’m lost here… I do understand there will be 9 eight notes, 6 quarter notes, 5 quarter, and 12 eight notes. But that’s really confusing especially if the time signature changes a few times in one song.
Can I think of 6/4 as two times 3/4? And 12/8 as… I don’t even know? How do I simplify these weird time signatures?
Also: Could anyone explain a 2/2 time signature? In the sheet music there’s a dotted half note followed by a quarter note which amounts to 4 beats. Where does 2/2 come from?
The point is, that all the signatures with even amount of beats are still the same feel (2/4 and 4/4, 3/4 and 6/4, 6/8 and 12/8 for example). The reason why they have been divided into separate time signatures are just to make reading music easier.
Also like @Hayden mentioned the Brasilian music, different styles of music have been written in certain time signature throughout the history, also as an example marches are in 2/4, waltzes in 3/4, Afro-Cuban might be written in 6/8 or 4/4 using triplets.
About the 2/2, or commonly know as ‘Alla Breve’, is supposed to be counted as 2 half notes.
With odd meters, like 5/4, 7/4 or 9/4, they usually have a ‘built in’ clave (rhythmic pattern inside the bar, for example son clave in 4/4: Clave.pdf ). 5/4 for example is commonly played with rhythm 5:4.pdf,
Now to the important question, how to count all these different signatures. My rule is, WHATEVER MAKES IT EASIER AND KEEPS YOU IN THE RIGHT BEAT, DO IT.
I mean by that, you can count any time signature divided however you feel most comfortable with, for example 2/2 I always just think as 4/4, or 6/4 as 3/4.
