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Compound /4 Time Signatures

Time signatures with 6, 9 or 12 on top and 4 below are compound time. They work very much like their compound /8 counterparts (6/8, 9/8 and 12/8), but have a beat which is a dotted minim (dotted half), instead of a dotted crotchet (dotted quarter).

Each beat can be divided into three smaller units, each worth one crotchet (quarter note). The crotchets can be further divided into two quavers (8ths), then two semiquavers (16ths), etc.

When you are grouping notes together with beams, you should keep the total value of the group to one beat at the most.

6/4 – Compound Duple

 6/4 has two dotted minim (dotted half note) beats per bar.

6/4 time signature

9/4 – Compound Triple

9/4 has three dotted minim beats per bar.

9/4 time signature

12/4 – Compound Quadruple

12/4 has four dotted minim beats per bar.

12/4 time signature

Compound /16 Time Signatures

Time signatures with 6, 9 or 12 on top and 16 below are also compound time. They work very much like their compound /8 counterparts (6/8, 9/8 and 12/8), but have a beat which is a dotted quaver (dotted 8th), instead of a dotted crotchet (dotted quarter note).

Each beat can be divided into three smaller units, each worth one semiquaver (16th). The semiquavers can be further divided into two demisemiquavers (32nds).

When you are grouping notes together with beams, you should keep the total value of the group to one beat at the most.

6/16 – Compound Duple

 6/16 has two dotted quaver (8th note) beats per bar.

6/16 time signature

9/16 – Compound Triple

9/16 has three dotted quaver (8th note) beats per bar.

9/16 time signature

12/16 – Compound Quadruple

12/16 has four dotted quaver (8th note) beats per bar.

12/16 time signature

Compound /32 Time Signatures

Time signatures with 6, 9 or 12 on top and 32 below are, again, compound time. They have a beat which is a dotted semiquaver (dotted 16th), instead of a dotted crotchet (dotted quarter note).

Each beat can be divided into three smaller units, each worth one demisemiquaver (32nd). The semiquavers can be further divided into two hemidemisemiquavers (64ths).

lower /32 time signatures

Compound Time Exercises

Hover your mouse over the questions (tap on mobiles) to reveal the answers.

  1. Which three numbers can be the top number in a compound time signature?
  2. Which three numbers can be the top number in a simple time signature?
  3. All compound triple time signatures have which number on top?
  4. Which two top numbers can be used for quadruple time signatures?
  5. The lower number 2 tells you to count what type of beats?
  6. Compound time signatures always have what type of note as the main beat?
  7. 9/4 is a real time signature. True or false?
  8. 3/6 is a real time signature. True or false?
  9. 4/8 is a real time signature. True or false?