Other Time Signatures
Up to this point, everything you have learned has been in * time. The majority or Rock songs are in * time, but occasionally you will encounter other time signatures. Three four time (^ ) is also based on quarter notes, but there are three beats per bar instead of four. The following examples demonstrate some simple beats in ^ time.
A basic Swing beat in ^ time can be created by playing swing eighth notes on the second beat.
Here is one which uses straight eighth notes on the hi-hats. The type of groove you play in ^ time depends on the song, so you should experiment with all the note values and combinations you have learned and apply them to this time signature.
Two Four Time ( % )
Another time signature you may encounter occasionally is two four time (%). This time signature is rarely used in Rock, but is worth knowing because many traditional marching drum parts and rudiments are written in %.
Rudiments are sticking techniques and exercises which are useful for developing your overall drumming ability. Rudiments will be dealt with in Lesson 10. As the time signature suggests, % represents two quarter note beats per bar. The next example shows a simple country beat written in % time.
Twelve Eight Time( + )
Another useful time signature is twelve eight time (+). It tells you there are twelve eighth note beats in each bar. A bar of eighth notes in twelve eight time sounds the same as a bar of triplets in four four time. Although there are twelve individual beats which can be counted, twelve eight time is usually still counted in four as demonstrated in the following example.
One of the main reasons for using the twelve eight time signature instead of * is that it becomes easier to count when the eighth notes are subdivided. Since there is a number on each eighth note, sixteenth notes can be counted as + (and) as demonstrated in the following example.
Here is a groove showing a common way 16th notes are used in + time. As in * time, the 16ths may be either swung or played straight. In the last part of the fill in bar 2, the left hand plays the snare while the right hand plays the floor tom.
Six Eight Time( ) )
One more time signature you will occasionally encounter is six eight time ()). It tells you there are six eighth note beats in each bar. Six eight time sounds the same as half a bar of twelve eight time. Although every eighth note is counted as a beat in ) time (1 2 3 4 5 6), it is felt as two beats per bar (1 2 3, 2 2 3). Like % time, traditional drum rudiments are commonly written in ) time. ) is also commonly used in many styles of Folk music.
Simple and Compound Time
Time signatures fall into two basic categories – simple time and compound time. Simple time is any time signature where the basic beat is divisible by two. For example, in *, ^ and % the basic beat is a quarter note which may be divided in half to become two eighth notes per beat.
In ) and + however, the basic beat is felt as a dotted quarter note which can be divided by three. Any time signature where the basic beat is divisible by three is called compound time.
