can someone explain musical time signatures to me?

So in 2/4...

It means that there are 2 beats in a bar and the quarter note gets the beat. (Think of it as two quarters; that way you know it is a quarter note that gets the beat). For example, you can have two quarter notes in one bar. That would be 2/4 time. You could also have four eighth notes in one bar, that would still be 2/4 time.

If you have... 6/8 for example, it means that there are six beats in a bar and the eighth note gets one beat (think of it as six eighths, so you know it's an eighth note that gets the beat).

In general 3/4 time is more like a waltz. Most pieces are in 4/4 time. There are also irregular times (the Mission Impossible theme for example is in 5/4 time). In 3/4 time the stress is placed on the first note, and in 4/4 time the stress is placed on the first and third beats. In 5/4 time you stress the first, fourth and fifth beats.

well 4/4 means that there are for quarter notes in a measure. 2/4 means that there are two quarter notes in a measure ( basically the same, sometimes changed to make the song faster or slower). When you are beating in 3/4 ( like in any waltz) there is a feel that emphasizes the first beat. in something like 3/8 you would divide the dotted quarter not into 3 8th notes. Certain time signatures are used to shape the feel and speed of the piece.

hope that helped

2/4 is faster than 4/4. Simple because it is half of the speed. Sorta like math. But the top number (2 and 4) means the number of beats in one measure. So it's logic that 2/4 time would be faster and 4/4 would be relatively slower. Many songs have different time signatures.

Common Time Signatures

4/4 time is a standard time signature.

the top 4 is how many beats per measure...which in this case is 4.

The bottom number is what note gets the beat...in this case, the quarter note.

So....in standard 4/4 time, you count it "1,2,3,4" "2,2,3,4" and so on...depending on how many measures there are.

In 2/4 time, there's two beats per measure, and the quarter note gets the beat. This is also called "half-time" since it's half of a 4/4 measure.

Another common time signature is called 6/8 time..which usually involves a "triplet beat" (to get the beat, think mi-chi-gan or 1-2-3). 6 beats per measure, and the 8th note gets the beat...so a measure in 6/8 would go like 1-2-3, 4-5-6 (tri-pi-let, tri-pi-let).

I hope this helps...sorry I don't have a specific links to demonstrate, try googling "Time Signatures"

4/4 means that there is 4 beats in one measure. 2/4 means that there are only 2 beats in one measure (this is also called cut time). In cut time, it would go a little quicker paced that 4/4 time. 4/4 time is also symbolized with a C, common time. Hoped it helped!

click on this link to help!

http://cnx.org/content/m10956/latest/

*ahem* Our modern musicail notation systyem was based on a tuning called "Meantone Temperament". With a few adjustments however, we may use this natation systyem to notate everything from 24 tone equal temperament, to 17, to pythagorean, to our modern 12-tone equal temperament. (E.A, the octave is divided into 12 equal steps) If our notation systyem at present was based on 12-tone equal temperament, there would, logically only be one way to notate the same note. However, this is'nt the case. In (12-tone)equal temperament, C, B#, Dbb, and A### (yes, tripple accidentals exist) are the same note, in meantone temperament, all of these denote silightly diffrent notes. Now, I won't get into the details, as they can get very complicated, but the point is, what notes are now enharmonic, in meantone denote diffrent pitches. Why do we still keep the enharmonic systyem? Well, theese enharmonics, even though they do not sound diffrent, denote diffrent functions. For example, we would expect the chord; C dominat 7 (C E G Bb) to resolve to F, whereas; (C E G A#) would resolve to B. In flexible pitch instruments, such as the violin, even today, A# might be played slightly flatter than a Bb, according to meantone tradition. Intersting note: In meantone tunings, enharmonic flat notes are higher in pitch than sharp notes, in pythagorean temperament, the opposite is true. As fas as enharmonic key signatures, yes, in meantone they would actually be two difffrent keys, but today, the intonation between enharmonic KEYS does note really vary, (E.A., A key with a G# tonic will be intonated the same as a key with a Ab one) however, diffrent enharmonic intervals might intonated diffrentley. Today, the enharmonic keys with the simpliest spelling will be chosen. (Bb over A# for example) And besides possible phycological diffrences (some composers associate diffrent feelings with sharp keys than the feelings they asscioate with flat keys) , which enharmonic key (or tonic, to be percise) you choose won't effect the composition at all, however, as has been said before, diffrent intonation is implied by all other enharmonic spelling.