time signature

noun

Music.

1. a numerical or other indication at the beginning of a piece showing the meter.

time signature

noun

1. music a sign usually consisting of two figures, one above the other, the upper figure representing the number of beats per bar and the lower one the time value of each beat. This sign is placed after the key signature at the outset of a piece or section of a piece

Word History and Origins

Origin of time signature¹

First recorded in 1870–75

Example Sentences

I like odd chord changes; when I was singing with the Jazz Passengers, that was sort of like going to college for me, they used all kinds of time signatures and harmonics and things.

From Los Angeles Times

Their music, meanwhile, is constantly surprising – full of shifting time signatures, needle-point guitar riffs and soaring melodies that are simultaneously odd and captivating.

From BBC

He closed this song with a dynamic djembe beat, moving through multiple time signatures.

From Los Angeles Times

There are times when the poetry, however evocative, could’ve used a little more prose, to keep the signposts and time signatures clearer.

From Seattle Times

While others stuck with power chords, simple rhymes and standard time signatures, Glassjaw has always been more of an art project for the duo rather than a commercial success.

From Los Angeles Times