GRADE 3 THEORY COURSE

LESSON 10
New time signatures

3 2 3 9
The new time signatures for Grade 3 Theory are 2, 2 (or cut common time), 8 and 8 time.
2
Let’s begin with 2 time.

As with all time signatures, the upper number tells us 'how many' and the bottom number tells us 'what
2
kind'. So – 2 time is two minims (half notes) per bar. The grouping of notes within these bars clearly
needs to show the two minim beats.
2
The following is a typical passage of music in 2 time:

2 ˙ œ œ
&b 2 ˙ œ œ
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙
œ
2
You can see the two minim beats clearly in each bar. 2 time is often referred to as ‘cut common time’,
which is denoted by the symbol C. 2 time, like 4 time, is described as simple duple time. Both 2 time
2 2 2
4 2
and 4 time have the same value of notes per bar. What are the differences between them? 2 time looks
‘slower’ on the page with a preponderance of minims, crotchets and quavers. However, fast tempos are
2 2
common in 2 time. The most important difference between these two time signatures is that 2 has two
4
clear beats in the bar whereas 4 time has four.
3
2 time indicates three minims per bar. Again, the grouping of notes within the bar needs to clearly show
three minim beats.
3
The following is a typical passage of music in 2 time:

& b 2 œ œ ™ #œ œ œ œ œ œ ™ œ ˙
b3 j j j j
œ œ œ™ œ œ ™ œ œ œ
w œ
3
Because there are three beats in the bar and these beats are not divisible by three, 2 time is another
3 3
variety of simple triple time. 4 time is also simple triple time – it may be helpful to consider 2 time as
3
similar to 4 time except that the note values have been doubled.
3
8 time is the next new time signature.

8 on the bottom tells us that this time signature is formed around quavers (eighth notes) and 3 on the
top tells us that there are three quavers per bar.

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Here is a typical passage of music in 8 time:

#### 3
& 8 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ™
3
Note that a quaver and a group of four semiquavers (as in bars 1 and 3 above) are beamed together in 8
time.
6
You might recall that 8 time, which we learned in Grade 2 Theory, is described as compound duple time;
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two compound (dotted crotchet) beats per bar. Is 8 time also compound time?
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Compound beats are ‘compounded’, that is they are made up of more than one component. In 8 time
the beats are dotted crotchet beats. They are made up of a crotchet and a quaver. Since there are two
quavers in a crotchet, these beats are equal to three quavers – they are divisible by three.
3 3
In 8 time there are three quaver beats per bar. Quavers are divisible by two, not three. Therefore, 8 time
is simple triple time.
3 3 3
So – 2 , 4 and 8 time are ALL examples of simple triple time.
9
We have one more new time signature to look at and that is 8 time.

The 8 on the bottom tells us that this time signature is formed around quavers (eighth notes) and the 9
on the top tells us that there are 9 quavers per bar.
9 6 6 9
8 time is an extension of 8 time. Where 8 has six quavers grouped in threes, 8 time has nine quavers,
also grouped in threes.

Thus:

9 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
8
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

The quaver pulses are numbered and they are grouped in threes. There are three dotted crotchet beats
per bar:

9 Ϫ Ϫ Ϫ
8
9
Because of this, 8 time is described as compound triple time. There are three compound (dotted
crotchet) beats per bar.
9
We will have a closer look at 8 time later on.

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