Time Signatures

This page will talk about my interpretation of time signatures.

Let's start with the basics. The top number represents the amount of base notes there are. The subdivision of the base note is indicated by the bottom note. The bottom note is important for notating tuplets since the tuplet a:b is the sum of b base notes subdivided into a notes.

The absence of a time signature indicates that the song has no measures, being free to do whatever it wants rhythm-wise. To notate tuplets you would have to use triple tuplets. i.e. a:b:c is the same of b base notes subdivided into a notes, where the base note is indicated by c as the division of the measure.

A single time signature, would use the single number used as the base note by default. Other than that it is exactly the same as the absence of the time signature. This is always a bottom number.

A triple time signature like t(a):b:c indicates a measures of b:c time. This rule only applies if a is above the staff.

A triple time signature a:b:b(c) indicates the base note is subdivided into c pieces. This rule only applies if c is under the staff.

Of course you could keep going above the staff with odd time signatures like t(a):b:c:d which indicate the number of "hypermeasures" or groups of measures, or a:b:c:b(d) which subdivides even further. At this point its fairly impractical to do stuff like this.

Now we move on to additive time signatures. By default a:b has a as a top number and b as a bottom number. If we go continue to go above the staff we get top numbers. If we go below the staff, we get bottom numbers. A additive top number a+b+c... indicates that you start with a hypermeasures (defined as the groupings defined by a top number), then play be, then play c and so on until you reach the end and go back to a. For bottom numbers, a+b+c... indicates that the divisions of the measures change to a, then the next measure, to b, then the next measure to c, and so on.

More to be added :D