Measures (Bars) and Time Signatures

Vertical black bars called bar lines divide the staff into measures.

In this example, the staff is divided into two measures.

Musicians in different places use different words.

– In the US, “measure” is more common.
– In Europe, “bar” is more common.

Bar = Measure.
They are the same thing.
Two words, one meaning.

A time signature tells you how many beats are in each measure and what kind of note gets one beat.

Let’s practice.

What does the time signature 3/4 tell you?

What does the time signature 5/4 tell you?