What time signature is this song?

Work it out by ear in 3 steps

1. Find the pulse. Tap your foot to the steady beat you’d naturally nod along to — that’s one beat.
2. Find beat 1. Listen for where the pattern feels like it resets — usually the strongest accent, often the kick drum or the chord change. Count “1” there.
3. Count to the next reset. Keep counting “1, 2, 3, 4…” until it loops back to a strong “1”. If it resets every 4 beats it’s in four (4/4); every 3 is a waltz (3/4); every 5 or 7 means an odd meter.

The quick version

The top number is how many beats are in each bar; the bottom number is which note value gets one beat (4 = a quarter note). So 4/4 is four quarter-note beats per bar — by far the most common in pop, rock and metal. 3/4 is a waltz feel. 6/8 is counted in two big beats, each split into three (think a rolling “1-2-3, 4-5-6”). 5/4 and 7/4 are the classic “odd” meters that feel like a bar with one beat added or dropped.

Look it up

Enter a song and we’ll search the web for its time signature. It’s a best-effort guess — great for well-known songs, less reliable for obscure ones — so always double-check by counting along.