The
time signature (also known as
meter signature,
metre signature, or
measure signature) is a notational convention used in
Western musical notation to specify how many
beats (pulses) are to be contained in each
bar and which
note value is to be given one beat. In a musical score, the time signature appears at the beginning of the piece, as a time symbol or stacked numerals, such as or (read
common time and
three-four time, respectively), immediately following the
key signature or immediately following the
clef symbol if the key signature is empty. A mid-score time signature, usually immediately following a
barline, indicates a change of meter.