Fractal Music

Music Theory Background

Time: Basic notation

The duration of a note is indicated by a standard set of symbols and is measured relative to a beat determined by the time signature. The time signature governs how notes are grouped. These groupings are demarcated by vertical lines (bar lines) that divide the staves into measures. Basic duration symbols are shown here. From a musical standpoint, the notion of objective length, as measured by a clock, is secondary and is determined by a tempo marking, such as allegro (fast) or adagio (slow), or a metronome marking that states the number of beats that occur in one minute.

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