Simple and Compound Time
Time signatures fall into two basic categories – simple time and compound time. Simple time is any time signature in which the basic beat is divisible by two. for example, in * and ^, the basic beat is a quarter note, which may be divided in half to become two eighth notes per beat.
Any time signature where the basic beat is divisible by three is called compound time. The most common example of compound time is six eight time ()). Other examples of compound are _ and +. In compound time, the basic beat is felt as a dotted quarter note which can be divided by three.
The Six Eight Time Signature
This is the six eight time signature.
There are six eighth notes in one bar of ) time.
The six eighth notes are divided into two groups of three.
When playing in compound time, it is common to slur three notes with one bow stroke. In this case, you need to time your bowing so that each note receives exactly one third of the bow stroke. Here is an example in ) time.
Once you are comfortable with the previous example, try this piece in _ time by JS Bach. Remember, the aim is to play the notes as smoothly as possible (legato).
The Two Four Time Signature
This is the two four time signature.
It tells you there are two beats in each bar.
In % time the note and rest values must add up to the equivalent of two quarter notes per bar.
