Topmusicanswers
The time signature indicates how many counts are in each measure and which type of note will receive one count. The top number of a time signature is commonly 2, 3, 4, or 6. The bottom number of a time signature is either 4 or 8.
What is the upper number of the time signature?
A time signature notation does two things: The top number indicates how many beats occur per measure, and the lower number gives the type of note that will receive one beat (see figure 2.2). For example, if the time signature is 4/4, the upper number indicates that there are four beats per measure.
Does the top number tell you how many beats?
The top number tells you how many beats there are in one measure. The bottom number tells you what kind of note is considered one beat. In the first example, the bottom number is 2, which means one half note is considered one beat. The top number is 3, which means one measure has three half note beats.
