The Difference Between 2/4 and 4/4 Time Signatures - Music Theory
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- Äas pĆidĂĄn 18. 04. 2024
- What is the difference between 2/4 and 4/4 time signatures? On the face of it, there may appear to be little difference between music in 2/4 time or music in 4/4 time. Often it is possible to count 2 or 4 beats to the same piece of music. In this music theory lesson we explain the subtle difference between 2/4 and 4/4 in terms of accentuation of strong and weak beats. By the end of this music theory lesson you will hear a distinct difference and it will help you to communicate the distinction between the two time signatures in the music you perform.
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đ Timestamps
0:00 - Introduction to the difference between 2/4 and 4/4 time signatures
0:16 - The theory behind time signatures
2:56 - How can you tell the difference?
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Louis Armstrong defined Jazz by saying "If it swings it's Jazz, If it don't, it ain't"! I can only go by the masters.
Absolutely
Can I ask something đ?
a match teacher teaches music
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One of the best explanations I have heard.
Thatâs really kind. Much more at www.mmcourses.co.uk
One is The Funk...it giveth and it taketh away.
Same
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I agree. I always think of 2/4 as tic-tock or nursery rhyme time. Strong -weak - tic-tock.
So I need to live my life in a more 4/4 fashion. Less stress.
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No, actually double the stress...
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I personally like to live my life in 5/4 + 10/8
I'm more of a 17/32 guy...I walk with a limp.
2/4 is used a lot for military marching music. The strong beat is when the left foot hits the ground.
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Samba!!!
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Definitely marching music is calypso.
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Having taught myself to play bass guitar by ear, I'm only now realizing what I'm actually doing. I've been doing different time signatures without knowing what their actual designations were. Thank you.
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Haha same, played bass for 15 years and always ignored the time signature. Only time I noticed is when playing 'money'. But thought more of it as a gimmick
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Same here.. I've been playing keyboard.. but didn't knew the theory of it.. but now after learning from these videos it makes sense.. and you are doing a great job sir, taking time out and presenting to us this knowledge..
Thank you once again from India đ
A pleasure
I've never understood this til now. Thank you!
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I have always loved how clear you can explain the videos and actually solving the problems in the video. This extremely helped me so much. Can't thank you enough!
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These are the kind of basics I was searching for. Thanks for the video.
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Me too! Hearing it explained like this is so nice
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@@MusicMattersGB jjbkjb
Amazing lessons learning a lot. Thank you so much. Keep posting â€ïžđ¶đ”đŒ
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Great lesson! I've never understood the difference but I think I do now. Amazing how such a subtle difference really has such a profound influence on the overall song. Maybe we would understand it better if more people used 2/4 time, but nowadays it's not nearly as popular as it used to be.
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You do such a good job explaining music. Itâs fun and enjoyable. Thank you.
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You Sir, are quite brilliant. Not all people are able to teach well, you do it exceptionally well. This was one of the clearest and best videos I've seen on music theory. If only all were so clear. You have earned my subscription. Thank you
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Iâm with this comment. I feel the love of this instructor, which actually equates to, among other gifts, genius understanding of music and arrangement of music. Much respect. And why I subscribe AND WATCH. AND LISTEN. AND LEARN. His TEACHING and not him just loving to hear himself speak, like many on utube. World CLASS instructor. Trust. Iâve had many, some, so-called âgreats.â Teacher is one of the instances where having utube is a blessing and a gift. Truly.
Thatâs very generous of you. Thank you
@@MusicMattersGB BTW- I long ago warned my children to watch out for certain types of teaching styles and âteachersâ -especially on utube. Your channel, I recommend to all 3. AND, I knew u got where I was coming from when I commented about intuition. I was COMPELLED to comment then/there. Yet, for me, the timing of my comment was off- my intuition needed some discipline, it seems. lol. Luv ur channel and will be making much more use of your instructions and courses on line. Iâm recommending young dancers, musicians, singers, rappers, Iâll be working with- I believe itâll tighten them ALL UP! We must appreciate and $upport genius! Thank you!
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Lovely, clear, and persuasive explanation! I have always thought (and taught) the difference as being between âsongâ (4/4) and âmarchâ (2/4). Not that all 2/4 pieces are technically marches, or that they cannot be melodic. The idea of âsongâ and âmarchâ is meant merely as a bit of a mnemonic, and heuristic, device.
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there are 2/4 songs and dances. Polkas in 2/4, "The girl from Ipanema" surely is a song in 2/4. I think 4/4 is just fairly popular a choice when 2/4 vs 4/4 just doesn't matter much. And then there are occasions (March, Polka) where it really matters so then composers conciously pick 2/4 (or 4/4 for example for a modern Tango).
I appreciate the lesson. Your voice is pleasant to listen. Thank you.
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Thank you so much for these videos, I'm becoming very inspired to learn more! You really are so good at teaching, I'm so glad I found you đ„°
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bro i cant believe im saying this but what the honk, this is like the best explanation ive heard in my entire life relating to learning school-like kind of stuff. huge kudos to you man
Youâre too kind
Something I always wondered. Great information delivered in a nice clear straightforward manner. I learned something today. It's now officially a good day.
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This is an excellent video, a perfect video really. This makes so much sense. You just got another subscriber! Thank you.
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Wow, I've been wondering this for more than 30 years of playing music - thank you so much for this excellent explanation!
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Same here!
I just came across this recently - absolutely brilliant! The way you present it is so engaging and informative. I have learnt so much - thank you a million times over!
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I ran across one of your videos a few months ago and I really like how you include the keyboard on the bottom of the screen. I never could find any others so I subscribed this time.
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@@MusicMattersGB brilliant đ
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You could technically make any time signature sound like any other with convoluted notation, eg if you have a lot of brief timing shifts and you don't want to mark them every time or wish the musician to be able to keep counting the same time, timing is more about the feel and where the emphasis is and is down to the most easy way to represent the bulk of your information effectively so it can be parsed easily by the musician!
Thatâs true. Itâs good that time signatures make all that so much easier.
Really excellent explanation. I've always wondered about this, now I'm clued up!
This is my go to channel for music theory
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I love watching these videos. I find that your teaching style is very effective. I have no formal music training. As an adolescent I picked up a guitar and played in various âcombosâ ranging from 2 to 5 musicians playing popular music. Back to the subject of this video, without formal training, I always imagined myself dancing with a partner to help me distinguish between a beat pattern. It will not always perfectly match the beat the composer intended, but it definitely helped make the music more appealing to listen to. As you point out, the ebb and flow of the emphasis on, or the dynamics of, the beat makes music musical. I am certain a there are phds given on the subject. Lastly, I always believed (rightly or wrongly) that before this modern era, when music was communicated to orchestras via the written note, the composer had to use methods like this to keep everyone playing together. Of course the conductor has ultimate authority how the sheet music is interpreted, but the ear of the audience expects each piece to follow established and familiar norms. Thanks again, great channel!
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At last I am beginning to understand the differences in Time Signatures. Thank you for your video which you explain so well and with a nice clear voice and no gimmicks etc. I look forward watching your other videos on this subject.
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Time signature trivia: Movie director John Carpenter composed the theme for his movie "Halloween" in 10/8. The reason: it is not a familiar time signature, especially to the average music consumer. It feels differently on the ear and puts you in an uneasy feeling. Which was the intention and what you want in a horror film. It's in the small details that denote genius.
Absolutely
Nice comment.. More trivia.. Let's do the math and divide by 2... 5/4 similar effect .. I remember hearing Howard Shore talking about composing the themes for the Lord Of The Rings movies and using 5/4 for the orc theme at Isengard for that same 'uneasy' reason. Also, I'm always amazed that the great drummer Joe Morello performs an extended drum solo in 5/4 in the Dave Brubeck quartet jazz classic 'Take 5'
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@@MusicMattersGB Sorry to chime in, but was the piece written in: 2/4 or 4/4?
Curious why you'd call that one 10/8 and not 5/4? When I hear it, my foot naturally taps the quarter notes (crotchets if you will ;).
I wonder how often this theory applies. I play classical guitar and I'm never thinking about which note to stress based on which beat I'm playing. I just phrase it the way that feels best to me, or I follow the composer's markings for dynamics.
There are the rare occasions when I wonder about what a time signature is or which would be most appropriate.
The next time I play a piece of music written in 2/4, I'll try to remember to give it some extra attention and see if I can understand why it was written as such.
Sometimes, I think a time signature may be chosen just as a matter of convenience when writing the notation. One can be more or less cluttered than another or can just look nicer.
Time signatures signify more than convenience or aesthetic pleasure. Youâre right to follow composer directions and to combine that with your own feel for the phrase. The time signature has natural stresses but a composer or performer is free to move away from the norms. Itâs good to know what the norms are.
Maybe composers who don't know the norms might choose one for other reasons.
Sure
Great video as always, Gareth!
Most kind. Hope all well. All the best. Gareth
Have always wondered what the difference was. Thanks for explaning it so well!
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Great lesson! And I really appreciate your perfect pronunciation, easy to understand for a non-native speaker like me. Thank you very much.
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@@MusicMattersGB đ
Very nicely done. Apologies if you've already covered this but I'd love an equally straightforward take on 6/8 vs 12/8, which I find can be an even greyer grey area.
Similar situation. 6/8 and 12/8 are both Compound time signatures. 6/8 contains two dotted crotchet beats; 12/8 contains four dotted crotchet beats.
Good explanation! Thank you for making this!
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Excellent video my friend. I've always been able to feel the difference, but never had it explained so clearly. Well done.
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Most Brazilian guitar music (bossa nova, samba, choro, etc.) is played in 2/4 time. Ex. "The Girl From Ipanema"
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Thnaks so much. I've always wondered about this. In the fairly limited number of in-person guitar lessons I've taken and in all the online lessons I've watched, no one has ever made this point about stresses. I think it iso obvious to teachers, who are after all experienced musicians, that it doesn't occur to them to discuss it.
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thank you so much for this, you are really good at explaining things. very nice work
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Excellent explanation! Thank you for this
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This is fantastic. I finally got it. Thank you so much for the explanation!
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Great stuff! Thank you for these videos.
I wonder if you might consider for an upcoming subject, a description for "Cut time" and "Double Cut time".
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Brilliant explanation!!! Thxs so much!!!
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Excellent teacher!!! Gareth makes awesome videos. Thank you!
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Thank you Gareth! Clear as crystal đđŒ
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This is so clearly explained! Thank you!
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Thank you so much. Great explanation.
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Well-explained again. Thank you.
A pleasure
What an asset for CZcams. A properly educated music teacher!
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Thank You! Best explanation yet.
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Fascinating....at last I understand. Great vid.đđ»
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A brilliant explanation, thank you!
đMuch more for you at www.mmcourses.co.uk
Thank you very much! Your explanation was really clear and concise and has helped me understand the difference better
Thatâs great.
This was so helpful, thank you!
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Beautifully explained. Thanks!
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Basic, clear, succinct explanation. Thank you!đ„°
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Great video, your explanation was very good!
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Very clear explanation. Thank you Gareth
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Thanks for this very clear explanation. In 90% or more of pop and rock, the bass drum is on 1 and 3, but there is so much emphasis on the snappy backbeat snare on 2 and 4 that the effect is quite otherwise.
Absolutely. In certain styles the backbeats take on particular significance.
Thank you for your explanations,
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love these lessons! Many thanks
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This was a really good and thorough explanation.. thank you đ„°
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BROTHER, YOU ARE THE BEST!!! You oooh really helped me!! THANK YOU VERY MUCH!This is cool, well done!
Glad itâs helpful
Thanks, I often wondered about this.
It is fascinating the barely perceptible nuances that turn written notes into music.... and differentiate one performer/performance from another
Absolutely.
Straight to the point and foolproof, thanks a bunch!
A pleasure
Awesome! Thank you for this!
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I actually totally got that. What a well Organized description. Thank you
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really well explained, thank you.
A pleasure. Much more at www.mmcourses.co.uk including details of our online courses and of our exciting Maestros programme. If you value this channel and would like to help us continue to share and develop the content please consider supporting us as a level 1 Maestro by clicking here czcams.com/channels/8yI8P7Zi3yYTsypera-IQg.htmljoin Alternatively you can express your support for the channel by clicking on the Super Thanks button beneath any of our videos. Thank you.
Excellent explanation. I never thought of if this way. Now I will. Thank you.
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Very nicely done. Excellent explanation!
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Wonderfully explained! Thanks!
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Very simple and detailed explanation. Thank you!
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Thank you for your kind explanation
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This was very helpful. Thank you.
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Thanks ever so much Gareth! This helped me a lot!!
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Well explained, thank you.
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Amazing.... I have watched so many videos about time signature, but you are the only one that made my concept crystal clear. Especially about the denominator...
Thatâs great.
Thank you so much, Garrett! Your presentation is one of a handful that is helping me to understand time-signature theory, after 60 years of inability to fathom it.
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Very interesting. Always wondered about this. Thanks.
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Thank you! I understand this now and I appreciate what you taught!
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This was the best explanation, I have ever viewed. Thank you
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I literally absorbed that knowledge came from you! đ€ Thank you sirr.
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Very clear. I've now subscribed - thank you.
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Great video! Quick and to the point.
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Thanks,I needed it!
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Excellent lesson !!!!
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Great explanation ! Thanx a lot !!!
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This is easy to understand. Good question and good answer. Thanks.
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The best explanation Iâve hear and seen!
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Thank you so much for this video. Subbed
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That's one of the best explanations thanks for video.
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wow, your way of explaining is amazing
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You are a great teacher! I have never understood the difference until now. Subscribed,
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Thank you so much Sir. I learnt a lot and now I am able to answer all the questions right in the practice tests. You are really helpful
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I had some music lessons in grade school, and have been a hobby musician ever since. When I asked back then about time signatures, I got the rote reply, "top number tells how many beats per measure; bottom number tells you quarter note gets one beat." Seemed utterly pointless to me.
The ONLY time it made sense was differentiating between 4/4 & 3/4. Everything else was meaningless. Until today.
Thank you so much for finally making this make sense! :D
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really wonderful! thank you so much!
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Thank you for this excellent tutorial, it all makes perfect sense!
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Very intiuitively told. Thank you!
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I do not have any previous experience with regard to the time signature. But your teaching has enlightened me regarding 2/4 and 4/4. Thank you so much!
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OMG you just saved me from all the stress that Iâve been under to try and learn what a signature means whenever I asked someone they would always just say to me how many beats are in a measure and Iâm thinking myself. What does that mean though you just saved me thank you so much. â€đ·đșđž
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Great explanation. Thanks.
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Thank you. I have wondered about this. Now it is clear. Best wishes from New Zealand.
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Thank you for this clear instruction! :)
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