A guide to quickly identify if the time signature of a piece is binary or ternary, and more about time signatures!
When transcribing music, the time signature is usually the first element that you need to figure out. You need to know not only the number of beats per measure, but also how they’re organized. Is it a piece with a binary or a ternary time signature?
Let’s figure it out!
What Is a Time Signature?
A time signature is a music notation symbol that tells how the beats are organized throughout the piece. It is usually written as two stacked numbers at the beginning of a piece or a section of it. These numbers tell us more than simply how many notes fit into a bar, they show the overall rhythm and flow of the piece.
The Numbers in Time Signatures
Time signatures always include two numbers: one at the top and one at the bottom. The top number simply specifies the quantity of beats in each bar. If we have a 2, that means that each bar will have just two equal beats. All numbers work the same way and the beats are always of equal length.
In a time signature, the bottom number indicates the note value for each beat. It can also be useful to know whether the time signature is binary or ternary before actually listening to the piece itself. Here’s the trick: if the bottom number is an 8, you’ll most likely be about to play a ternary piece.
For now, here’s a short guide to identify the numbers with their values:
As you can see in this schema, if the bottom number is a 4, that means that a quarter note takes a whole beat. If it’s a 16, a sixteenth note takes one beat.
Binary vs. Ternary Time Signatures
The binary time signature is the most common in western popular music and radio songs in general, such as pop-rock or country genres. In binary meter, the music is organized and felt in groups of two. In other words: you can walk or run to a binary rhythm, and it will feel comfortable and steady.
On the other hand, in ternary metter, the music is felt and organized in groups of three. Unlike with binary music, you can’t walk to a ternary rhythm, because it will feel uncomfortable. Waltzes are the most obvious examples of ternary time signatures, while ternary meter goes far beyond.
Binary vs. Ternary: How Can You Tell the Difference?
After explaining the technical details of both binary and ternary time signatures, here’s THE way to identify them within a song.
- Binary metter fils like: ONE-two, ONE-two, ONE-two
- Ternary metter feels like: ONE-two-three, ONE-two-three, ONE-two-three
Here’s an example of a binary time signature:
And here’s an example of a ternary time signature:
Other Time Signatures
In this section, we’ve listed some uncommon time signatures with the corresponding explanation.
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