Time Signatures Explained: Read 4/4, 3/4 & 6/8

4/4 is so common it has a nickname, common time, written as a C on the staff. Cut time (a C with a vertical slash) is 2/2, counted in two for a faster, leaner feel.

A piece does not have to stay in one meter. When the count changes, a new time signature is written into the staff at that bar — songs that move from a 4/4 verse into a 6/8 chorus, or drop a single 2/4 bar to cut a beat, simply print the new signature where the feel switches. In a DAW you set this on the tempo or signature track so the grid follows the music.

Simple vs compound time

The split that trips people up is simple versus compound, and it is about how each beat divides.

In simple time, each beat splits into two. 4/4, 3/4 and 2/4 are simple. In compound time, each beat splits into three. 6/8, 9/8 and 12/8 are compound. That is why 6/8 feels like two big beats, each a triplet, rather than six even ones, even though you can still count to six.

The fastest way to feel the difference is to set a metronome to accent the downbeat and play along until the grouping clicks.

How to count odd time signatures

Odd meters like 5/4 and 7/8 feel impossible until you group them. You don't count every beat evenly. You break the bar into smaller chunks of 2 and 3 and count those.

• 5/4 is usually grouped 3+2 or 2+3. Count 'ONE two three, ONE two' and feel the two uneven pulses.
• 7/8 is usually 2+2+3 or 3+2+2. Count 'ONE-and, TWO-and, THREE-and-a' and let the longer group land at the end.
• The trick is finding where the natural accents fall, then counting in groups instead of one long run of numbers.

If you are trying to work out the tempo of a track in an odd meter, tap it out first:

Once you have the tempo, converting it into delay and note timings is covered in BPM to milliseconds. When the drummer's take is finally locked in the right meter, drop it in a delivery Room for the band to approve at full quality.