how can you know the time signature in a piece by just looking at the conductor or listening to the song?

Question

i went to see the national symphony orch the other day and i wanted to figure out the time signature but i didnt know how

Answer 1

With regard to the conductor, look for the downbeat (it looks exactly like what it says on the box), then count the number of beats that occur in between before the next down beat happens, and that will give you the count. Downbeat + 3 more beats and a new downbeat, gives you a time signature in fours. (When listening, just the same principle, but now its the most heavily accented beat you hear that carries the downbeat, the rest of the process is the same.) Working out whether the actual time signature is 4/4, 4/8 or 4/2 takes a little more experience as it will be the character of the piece as a whole that gives the game away. E.g. something with 6 beats, chugging along in 2 groups of 3, a bit like a jig or gigue, is likely to be in 6/8 time, but it could of course be in 2/4 in triplet 8ths too. Experience of the different forms and their characteristics will nudge you to resolve it one way or the other, together with a sharp ear for the relative weights of those (weaker) beats other than the main ones, e.g. are those 6 beats I mentioned before actually grouped as 3 x 2, or 2 x 3, or other crafty tricks like Tchaikovsky's famous knack of making 5/4 sound uncannily like a (mildly deranged) waltz in 3/4. :-)



The principle remains the same though: establish the down beat, work out where the next one comes, and then work backwards to establish the count. And keep listening and (if needs be) keep (re-)evaluating what is actually happening in time: time signatures can and *do* change in mid-flight..! :-)

Answer 2

Man you should be able to just count it out.



It's 1 2 34 1 2 3 4

or waltz

1 2 3 1 2 3

or march

1 2 1 2

or count like rowing in a boat but a longer 123 count

1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6

or 12/8

1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3

1 2 3 4 5 6 4 5 6 10 11 12

kind of like a country boot scootin boogie

It's really not that difficult

Answer 3

If you could listen to a "Two beat pattern"= 2/2 or 2/4.

Three beat = 3/4 or 3/2,

four beat = 4/4,

six beat 6/8 or 6/4; in the six beat the conductor might use the double three-beat pattern also.

As you watch, the conductor's hands goes with the beat, you should be able to feel it or see it, but it takes practice to do so! Listen carefully and watch in tention are all it takes, but don't forget to feel the beats, it helps!

Why would you want to figure out the time signature in a song? I think knowing or naming what "Key" is in a song is more important than knowing the time signature. Knowing if the key is minor, hormonic minor, or major is fun to do also.

Go to your church and conduct for a month, I bet you'll turn out good!

Answer 4

You look at the conductor and watch their hand motions... depending on the pattern it can be a 3/4 or a 4/4 or a 6/8... you have to know the difference between all of these... the emphasis and stresses on the beats... (i am majoring in Orchestral conducting) also... if you listen to the music you can hear those stresses and emphasis and that can better help you figure out the time signature

Answer 5

well you could look at the pattern that the conductor move his baton in. whenever it goes down, that means downbeat of one.sometimes there'll be a beat from a certain instrument too. like a bass or something.

Answer 6

I'd like to know that too. I've always wondered.

Answer 7

count