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Time signature

The time signature is set as follows:

     
     \time 2/4 c2
     \time 3/4 c2.

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Time signatures are printed at the beginning of a piece and whenever the time signature changes. If a change takes place at the end of a line a warning time signature sign is printed there. This default behavior may be changed, see Visibility of objects.

     
     \time 2/4
     c2 c
     \break
     c c
     \break
     \time 4/4
     c c c c

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The time signature symbol that is used in 2/2 and 4/4 time can be changed to a numeric style:

     
     % Default style
     \time 4/4 c1
     \time 2/2 c1
     % Change to numeric style
     \numericTimeSignature
     \time 4/4 c1
     \time 2/2 c1
     % Revert to default style
     \defaultTimeSignature
     \time 4/4 c1
     \time 2/2 c1

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Mensural time signatures are covered in Mensural time signatures.

Predefined commands

\numericTimeSignature, \defaultTimeSignature.

Selected Snippets

Changing the time signature without affecting the beaming

The \time command sets the properties timeSignatureFraction, beatLength, beatGrouping and measureLength in the Timing context, which is normally aliased to Score. Changing the value of timeSignatureFraction causes the new time signature symbol to be printed without changing any of the other properties:

     
     \relative c'' {
       \time 3/4
       a16 a a a a a a a a a a a
     
       % Change time signature symbol but keep 3/4 beaming
       % due to unchanged underlying time signature
       \set Score.timeSignatureFraction = #'(12 . 16)
       a16 a a a a a a a a a a a
     
       \time 12/16
       % Lose 3/4 beaming now \time has been changed
       a16 a a a a a a a a a a a
     }

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Compound time signatures

Odd 20th century time signatures (such as "5/8") can often be played as compound time signatures (e.g. "3/8 + 2/8"), which combine two or more inequal metrics. LilyPond can make such music quite easy to read and play, by explicitly printing the compound time signatures and adapting the automatic beaming behavior. (Graphic measure grouping indications can also be added; see the appropriate snippet in this database.)

     
     #(define ((compound-time one two num) grob)
       (grob-interpret-markup grob
         (markup #:override '(baseline-skip . 0) #:number
           (#:line (
               (#:column (one num))
               #:vcenter "+"
               (#:column (two num))))
           )))
     
     \relative c' {
       \override Staff.TimeSignature #'stencil = #(compound-time "2" "3" "8")
       \time 5/8
       #(override-auto-beam-setting '(end 1 8 5 8) 1 4)
       c8 d e fis gis
       c8 fis, gis e d
       c8 d e4 gis8
     }

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See also

Music Glossary: time signature

Notation Reference: Mensural time signatures, Time administration.

Snippets: Rhythms.

Internals Reference: TimeSignature, Timing_translator.

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