What does the bottom number of a time signature indicate?

What does the bottom number of a time signature indicate?

• A. The number of measures in a phrase.
• B. Which note value gets one beat.
• C. The tempo.
• D. The key signature.

Answer: (B)

The bottom number in a time signature tells you the beat unit—the note value that counts as one beat in the measure. It defines how long a single beat lasts. For example, when the bottom number is 4, a quarter note gets one beat, so a measure with the top number 4 has four quarter-note beats. When the bottom number is 2, a half note gets one beat, so a measure with the top number 3 has three half-note beats. When it’s 8, an eighth note gets one beat, so a measure is counted in eighth-note units (as in many compound meters where groups of three eighths form each beat). This is separate from tempo (how fast you move) and from key signature (which pitches are sharp or flat).

The bottom number in a time signature tells you the beat unit—the note value that counts as one beat in the measure. It defines how long a single beat lasts. For example, when the bottom number is 4, a quarter note gets one beat, so a measure with the top number 4 has four quarter-note beats. When the bottom number is 2, a half note gets one beat, so a measure with the top number 3 has three half-note beats. When it’s 8, an eighth note gets one beat, so a measure is counted in eighth-note units (as in many compound meters where groups of three eighths form each beat). This is separate from tempo (how fast you move) and from key signature (which pitches are sharp or flat).