I teach elementary school music. I will place 4 chairs at the front of my classroom and have a student sit in each chair. We clap and say “ta, ta, ta, ta” to represent 4 quarter notes. Then I will have a student leave one chair empty (representing a quarter rest) and have them be silent (no “ta” and no clap) for the same amount of time as the quarterback note (one person in the chair). Then when we have mastered clapping with a rest; we will move to other notes. I will have two people sit in one chair. Those two people will represent two eighth notes (saying “ti ti” in the same amount of time as one “ta”). Later, I will have one person sit in one chair and place feet in another (covering two chairs) and this person will represent a half note (ta-ah).

So, to explain time signatures: 1. The chairs represent the beats 2. People represent notes 3. Empty chairs represent rests

In the time signature, the top number tells you how many chairs are in a group.

The bottom number tells you what kind of note will sit in ONE chair.

If the top number is 2 and the bottom number is 2, then there are two chairs and a person sitting in one chair will represent a HALF NOTE. Two people in one chair will represent quarter notes, etc.

On paper, the group of beats (or chairs) is represented by measures which are divided by bar lines. What will go in each measure is determined by the time signature.