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

See Examples For:

time signature

“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

“It made me feel just terrible, because my music is not that easy to play. A song like ‘Promises, Promises’ changes time signature in almost every bar.

From New York Times ● Feb. 13, 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

The filmmakers reflected on how those musicians in the small mountain town of Barichara strummed guitars and the region’s 12-string tiple in a waltz time signature.

From Washington Post ● Nov. 23, 2021

For that matter, why not call the time signature "one one" or "eight eight"?

From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones