BRL: Braille through Remote Learning

Specialized Codes Course

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Session Topics
  • Overview
  • Notes and rests
  • Time signatures
  • Key signatures

    Evaluation
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  • Time Signatures

    Time signatures in music represent a way of expressing the number of beats in a measure and how much each beat is worth. For example, a "4/4" time signature means that there are four beats in a measure, and each beat has a value of a quarter note. A time signature of "12/8" means there are 12 beats in a measure, and each beat has the value of an eighth note.

    Time signatures are very straight-forward. The table below shows some examples:

    Symbol Braille
    notation

    If you are new to music, the "C" with the bar is called "cut time", and basically is equivalent to 2/2 time. The "C" is known as common time, and is equivalent to 4/4 time.

    Time signatures are normally centered above the first line of music or words, in combination with the key signature. Often in music there is a change in time signature -- this is represented in braille where it appears, with a space preceding and following the time signature.



    Developed by
    Shodor logoThe Shodor Education Foundation, Inc.
    in cooperation with the
    North Carolina Central University
    and the Governor Morehead School for the Blind

    Copyright © 1998