returns a time signature with n quarter-note beats to a measure.
MusicTimeSignature[n,d]
returns a time signature with specified numerator n and denominator d.
MusicTimeSignature[n,d,b]
returns a time signature with specified numerator n, denominator d and beat length b.
MusicTimeSignature[…,properties]
returns a time signature with the specified property association properties.
MusicTimeSignature[music,…]
returns a time signature with properties inherited from another time signature music.
MusicTimeSignature
returns a time signature with n quarter-note beats to a measure.
MusicTimeSignature[n,d]
returns a time signature with specified numerator n and denominator d.
MusicTimeSignature[n,d,b]
returns a time signature with specified numerator n, denominator d and beat length b.
MusicTimeSignature[…,properties]
returns a time signature with the specified property association properties.
MusicTimeSignature[music,…]
returns a time signature with properties inherited from another time signature music.
Details
- MusicTimeSignature is a function for specifying time signatures in symbolic music expressions, for control of rhythmic structure and meter in algorithmic composition.
- MusicTimeSignature represents a time signature for a musical container such as MusicMeasure or MusicScore.
- The association properties can contain the following keys:
-
"BeatLength" length of a beat in units of the denominator "Numerator" length of a measure in units of the denominator "Denominator" denominator of the unit note duration - For a time signature object obj, any of the above properties can be obtained using obj["prop"]. Use obj["PropertyAssociation"] to retrieve the values of all available properties.
Examples
open all close allBasic Examples (4)
Construct the time signature with 2 quarter-note beats to a measure:
MusicTimeSignature[2]Construct the time signature with 6 eighth-note beats to a measure:
MusicTimeSignature[6, 8]Specify that each eighth note in the 6/8 bar should count as one beat:
MusicTimeSignature[6, 8, 1]Construct the time signature with properties specified in an Association:
MusicTimeSignature[<|"BeatLength" -> 3|>]Construct the time signature with default properties inherited from another MusicTimeSignature:
m = MusicTimeSignature[6, 8]MusicTimeSignature[m, <|"BeatLength" -> 1|>]Scope (5)
List all available properties:
MusicTimeSignature[12, 8]["Properties"]Retrieve all properties and their values:
MusicTimeSignature[12, 8]["PropertyAssociation"]//DatasetRetrieve the "Numerator" from a time signature:
MusicTimeSignature[12, 8]
%["Numerator"]Retrieve the "Denominator" from a time signature:
MusicTimeSignature[12, 8]
%["Numerator"]Time signatures describing compound meter have a default "BeatLength" of 3 denominator units:
MusicTimeSignature[12, 8]["BeatLength"]Time signatures describing simple meter have a default beat length of 1 denominator unit:
MusicTimeSignature[4, 4]["BeatLength"]Create a MusicMeasure object with a 2/4 time signature:
MusicMeasure[{"G", "A"}, <|"TimeSignature" -> MusicTimeSignature[2, 4]|>]Measures in a MusicVoice can have different time signatures:
MusicVoice[{MusicMeasure[{"G", "A"}, <|"TimeSignature" -> MusicTimeSignature[2, 4]|>], MusicMeasure[{"G", "A", "B"}, <|"TimeSignature" -> MusicTimeSignature[3, 4]|>]}]Properties & Relations (1)
Compute the duration of a measure having the given time signature using MusicMeasurements:
ts = MusicTimeSignature[9, 8];
MusicMeasurements[ts, "MeasureDuration"]Compute the duration of each beat in such a measure:
MusicMeasurements[ts, "BeatDuration"]Construct a MusicDuration object that will occupy one beat under the time signature:
MusicDuration[Quantity[1, "Beats"], <|"BeatDuration" -> %|>]A MusicMeasure constructed from events will by default have a time signature appropriate for the first event's "BeatDuration" property:
MusicMeasure[{MusicNote["G", %]}]Related Guides
History
Text
Wolfram Research (2026), MusicTimeSignature, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/MusicTimeSignature.html.
CMS
Wolfram Language. 2026. "MusicTimeSignature." Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Wolfram Research. https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/MusicTimeSignature.html.
APA
Wolfram Language. (2026). MusicTimeSignature. Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Retrieved from https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/MusicTimeSignature.html
BibTeX
@misc{reference.wolfram_2026_musictimesignature, author="Wolfram Research", title="{MusicTimeSignature}", year="2026", howpublished="\url{https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/MusicTimeSignature.html}", note=[Accessed: 12-June-2026]}
BibLaTeX
@online{reference.wolfram_2026_musictimesignature, organization={Wolfram Research}, title={MusicTimeSignature}, year={2026}, url={https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/MusicTimeSignature.html}, note=[Accessed: 12-June-2026]}