Time Signatures

[TimmyC]

Got my grade 5 theory test coming up and one thing that has always confused me is time signatures. I know what each number means but I don't understand how to distinguish between "simple" or "complicated" and "duple", "triple" and "quadruple"

Help please?

[queenofthedepths]

As I understand it, "simple" means that each beat is divided evenly - "complicated" is obviously the opposite
Anddd the other 3 refer to how many notes of equal length fit into the space of one crotchet
Apologies if that turns out to be way off the mark - I'm sure somebody else will provide a far more educated answer

[pete.young]

[quote name='TimmyC' post='143787' date='Feb 20 2008, 04:10 PM']Got my grade 5 theory test coming up and one thing that has always confused me is time signatures. I know what each number means but I don't understand how to distinguish between "simple" or "complicated" and "duple", "triple" and "quadruple"[/quote]

I think you mean simple and compound time. A simple rule of thumb:

Simple time signatures are like 4/4 and 2/4 , where the value of the beat is a whole note (in this case a crotchet).
Compound time is something like 6/8 (irish jigs) or 12/8 (My Way) , where the value of the beat is a dotted crotchet.

Duple is 2 beats per bar, triple is three and quadruple is 4.