The time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, or measure signature) is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats (pulses) are to be contained in each bar and which note value is to be given one beat. In a musical score, the time signature appears at the beginning of the piece, as a time symbol or stacked numerals, such as or 34 (read common time and three-four time, respectively), immediately following the key signature or immediately following the clef symbol if the key signature is empty. A mid-score time signature, usually immediately following a barline, indicates a change of meter. There are various types of time signatures, depending on whether the music follows simple rhythms or involves unusual shifting tempos, including: (such as 34 or 44), (e.g., 98 or 128), (e.g., 54 or 78), (e.g., 58 & 38 or 68 & 34), (e.g., 3+2+38), (e.g., 2½4), and (e.g., 310 or 524).

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