Songtrix offers 24 different signatures that you can use in your compositions, each representing a different meter or rhythm pattern that your music can follow.
These can be broadly divided into three categories, depending on the time value of each beat in the meter, which is indicated by the bottom number in the time signature.
Often one time signature can be substituted for another, and only convention, or the clarity of staff notation will suggest which is more appropriate.
For example, the staff layout with time signatures 2/2, 4/4 or 8/8 are all identical, but each has a different implied underlying beat pattern.
Also music in 2/4 with strong swing timing is usually best notated in 6/8.
Half-Note Meters
These time signatures are based on half-note beats. They are all very rarely used, and generally only where music has a very slow rhythmic movement.
| 1/2 | Very Rare |
| 2/2 | Very Rare |
| 3/2 | Very Rare |
Quarter-Note Meters
These time signatures are based on quarter-note beats. They are the most common class of time signature.
| 1/4 | Very Rare |
| 2/4 | Common |
| 3/4 | Common |
| 4/4 | Very Common |
| 5/4 | Rare |
| 6/4 | Very Rare |
| 7/4 | Very Rare |
King of them all is the ubiquitous 4/4 time signature. This appears in all forms of music, often marked with a shorthand symbol - C - to indicate common time.
Well used also is 2/4 for marches (left-right-left-right) and 3/4 for waltzes (one-two-three, one-two-three) or similar styles of music. Occasionally you may also see a piece written in 5/4.
Eighth-Note Meters
These time signatures are based on eighth-note beats. The beats generally occur faster than with the quarter-note meters.
| 2/8 | Very Rare |
| 3/8 | Rare |
| 4/8 | Very Rare |
| 5/8 | Very Rare |
| 6/8 | Common |
| 7/8 | Very Rare |
| 8/8 | Very Rare |
| 9/8 | Rare |
| 10/8 | Very Rare |
| 11/8 | Very Rare |
| 12/8 | Common |
| 13/8 | Very Rare |
| 14/8 | Very Rare |
| 15/8 | Rare |
Eighth-note meters are most frequently encountered with compound time signatures, whose beats are a multiple of three. These are used where a primary beat has a strong triplet (or swing) feel, to produce more readable staff notation.
For example music in 2/4 (one, two) can be notated in 6/8 (one-two-three, two-two-three). Similarly 3/4 can be converted to 9/8 and 4/4 can be converted to 12/8.
