Rock & Roll 101 > Definitions

Musical Definitions

Key Signatures
A grouping of sharp or flat signs placed immediately after the clef on the lines of the staff.
Unless contradicted (cancelled) by natural signs, they affect every note with the same name as the ones marked.
Time Signature
A time signature is a device which shows how to count the time patterns in any bar. It is represented by either two numbers, a 'c', or 'c' with a vertical line through it. This is usually shown at the beginning of staves. These symbols give the number of beats to a bar. Concerning the two numbers, the lower number represents the unit of time: it is written according to its value in terms of a semibreve. The number of top of a time-signature shows how many units there are to the bar. The time signature is written on the stave just before the first note of the tune. A time signature with four quarter notes to the bar is written 4/4 (common time, also represented by a 'C'). The time signature for songs with two quarter notes to the bar is written 2/4, etc.