4/4 Time Signature Metronome
Allegro
4/4: 4 beats per bar, counted 1 2 3 4.
4/4, also called common time, has four quarter-note beats per bar. It is the default for most modern music.
How to count 4/4
Count 1 2 3 4 with the strongest accent on 1 and a lighter one on 3. With eighths: 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and. With sixteenths: 1 e and a 2 e and a. The C symbol on sheet music means the same as 4/4.
What to practise in 4/4
Scales in eighths and sixteenths, strumming patterns, drum grooves and fills. Use shuffle to get a swung feel for blues and jazz, and Gap mode to mute a bar now and then and test your own timing.
Questions
Why is 4/4 called common time?
Because it is the most used meter in Western music. It is written as 4/4 or as a C on the staff.
How do I practise the backbeat?
Set 4/4, make beats 2 and 4 strong and beats 1 and 3 soft or silent. Play so that your snare or chord lands on the loud clicks.
What is cut time?
Cut time (2/2) has the same notes as 4/4 but is felt in two half-note beats. Use 2/4 with half the tempo, or 4/4 with accents on 1 and 3.