time signature

American  

noun

Music.

1. a numerical or other indication at the beginning of a piece showing the meter.

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time signature British  

noun

1. music a sign usually consisting of two figures, one above the other, the upper figure representing the number of beats per bar and the lower one the time value of each beat. This sign is placed after the key signature at the outset of a piece or section of a piece

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Etymology

Origin of time signature

First recorded in 1870–75

Example Sentences

“This is more like a six than a compound four,” Newman-Lessler said, referring to the segment’s tricky time signature.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 5, 2023

By “that” I meant the time signature changes, the instrumentation, and the unpredictable chords that allowed the melody to flow over them and carry the power of Warwick’s performance downstream.

From Washington Post • Feb. 10, 2023

But a typical Bacharach composition was rhythmically complex, often wrong-footing the listener with sudden changes of time signature and irregular phrasing.

From BBC • Feb. 9, 2023

That’s the time signature for at least the first half of this album: two rope turners and a jumper.

From New York Times • Jul. 25, 2022

The time signature 6/8 is very common for children’s rhymes and songs.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin