A time signature is how each bar is made up of beats. It is written like a mathematical fraction, for example 3⁄4 or 5⁄8.
While the upper numeral indicates the beat count, the lower numeral indicates the beat value.
The beat count tells us how many beats are in a whole bar.
Listen to rhythms with different beat-counts:
The beat value represents the duration of each beat.
Quarter-notes are considered the default beat value, whereas eighth-notes take up half the duration.
Which of the following rhythms is in 8⁄8?