Grade Five Music Theory - Lesson 3: Time Signatures Exercises (UK)

Click here to read this page with US terminology (e.g. "quarter note" instead of "crotchet").

Point your mouse at the staff, text or time-signature to reveal the answers.

Time Signatures - Exercise 1

Give each of these time signatures its technical name (e.g. "compound duple"):

Time Signatures - Exercise 2

3/2 represents 3 minim beats per bar. 6/4 represents 2 dotted minim beats per bar. What do the following time signatures represent?

Barlines - Exercise 3

Put in the missing barlines in the following passages, which all begin on the first beat of the bar:

Time Signatures - Exercise 4

Look at the following extracts and decide if the time signature is simple, compound or complex , then write in a suitable time signature. Which notes help you to decide?

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Time Signatures - Exercise 5

1. Which 3 simple time signatures can have a lower number 8 ?
2. How can you tell the difference between 2/2 and 4/4?
3. How can you tell the difference between 3/2 and 6/4?
4. How can you tell the difference between 3/4 and 6/8?

Exercise 6

Rewrite the following without changing the rhythmic effect.

Exercise 7

Rewrite the following without changing the rhythmical effect. State the number/type of beats per bar in each case, before you begin.