Home ❯ Topics ❯ ❯

Q&A: Recognizing Time Signatures by Ear?

Lesson #505 • Aug 1, 2023

Hey there, friends! Here’s a community Q&A video for July 2023, where I answer a handful of questions recently posted in the forum over on my songnotes.net website. To everyone who posted these questions – I hope you find these answers helpful!

0:00 Introduction
0:35 Counting Beats in Each Measure?
5:30 Star Spangled Banner in 4/4 Time?
7:07 Walk-Downs: Slow vs Quickly?
11:56 Country Honk Rhythmic Bassline?
16:21 LA Freeway Chorus Strumming?

Have a question you’d like me to answer? Shoot me an email at [email protected]

Lesson Discussion

Lessons I Mention

"Tennessee Whiskey" by Chris Stapleton

$ Song Sheet Available

"Sunday Morning Coming Down" by Kris Kristofferson / Johnny Cash

$ Song Sheet Available

Acoustic Blues with Keith Richards

★ Instructional PDF

"Star Spangled Banner" in Open Position

★ Instructional PDF

"LA Freeway" by Guy Clark

$ Song Sheet Available

G-chord finger position guide

★ Instructional PDF

Walking Up & Down in Each Major Key

★ Instructional PDF

Other Videos I Mention

Whitney Houston singing the Star Spangled Banner. Notice how it’s in 4/4 time! She’s usually adding the extra beat on to the third word (or syllable) of each line.

Here’s Jewel singing the Star Spangled Banner, also in 4/4 time. The bass strings on her guitar are a heplful way to follow the quarter notes.

Finally, the Adam Neely video I reference. The first 6 minutes includes plenty of very helpful instruction on the topic of time signatures and rhythmic pulse.

Browse Related Lessons

Click any tag below to view other lessons I've made in that category:

Enjoy My Lessons? Show Your Support!

Most of the lessons on my website are 100% free. If you have the means, please show your support with a tip jar contribution. I put many hours into every lesson — but it only takes you a minute to make a donation. You have my thanks!

Looking for More Song Lessons?

Beginner-Friendly

Browse by Artist

Browse by Song Title

Browse by Song Year

Featured Courses

Guitar for Beginners

A guide to getting started with guitar! Everything you need to know to begin your journey. Choosing a guitar, other gear you'll need, fretting notes & chords, learning your first songs, and more.

14 lessons

Beginner Chord Guide

A guide to the must-know chords you'll need when getting started with guitar! The quickest way to learn major chords, minor chords, the chords in each key, and more.

22 lessons

Reading Music for Guitarists

Learn to read tabs, chord charts, fretboard diagrams, strumming patterns, and more! This course explains how to understand all of these must-know notation styles.

6 lessons

Blues Starter Kit

A guide to must-know elements of beginner blues guitar! I'll walk you through the essential topics, showing you fun things to play along the way.

18 lessons

Practical Music Theory

A general overview of must-know theory concepts. The goal here is practical, easy-to-understand explanations — all of which provide clarity to your everyday guitar playing.

12 lessons

Learning Lead Guitar

A collection of videos teaching you licks, riffs, solos, and other lead guitar techniques! Includes info on scales, CAGED shapes, and other helpful lead guitar concepts.

24 lessons

Fingerstyle & Travis Picking

Dive into the basics of fingerstyle guitar, with plenty of examples of riffs, exercises, and songs that put this technique to use. This includes a healthy serving of Travis Picking lessons, which feature an alternating bass note played with your right thumb.

31 lessons

Strumming & Rhythm

While your left hand is busy with chords, your right hand needs to hold down a steady rhythm! This is tricky at first, but it's a blast once you get over the hump. Here's a guide to get you started.

17 lessons

CAGED Essentials

Learn about the repeating pattern of shapes on the fretboard, named after the five open chord shapes (C-A-G-E-D). Each shape can be used to play a chord, arpeggio, pentatonic or diatonic scale in every key... which makes them worth knowing!

6 lessons

Using a Capo

Capos are incredibly helpful if you want to play along with your favorite artist, change a song's key, adjust things to your vocal range, and so on. In this series of videos I explain all this & more!

8 lessons

Walk Ups & Walk Downs

A very common trope in rock, country, and folk music involves walking bass lines that "connect" one chord to another. I've used this in many of my song lessons, and I'm happy to share this list of related lessons if you'd like to brush up on this technique.

10 lessons

Fun & Helpful Tools I've Made

Fret Monster

Interactive fretboard map! See the patterns behind every scale in any key.

Capo Captain

An easy way to calculate key & chord combinations, for any capo location!

Key Master

See and hear the notes, chords, scales used in each of the most common keys.

Blank Tabs

Free PDF templates to download, print, and write out your own guitar tabs!

Coming soon is Jambox – which shows all the video jam tracks I've made. It's note quite ready for the spotlight, but check it out if you like!

Subscribe to my YouTube channel

Be sure to never miss a lesson by subscribing on YouTube. I put out 2-3 new videos every week. These include full song lessons, as well as covers, practice tips, behind-the-scenes updates. Thanks!

Recent Lessons

June 16, 2025

"London Homesick Blues" from Jerry Jeff Walker / Gary P. Nunn

In celebration of my 10th anniversary of moving to Austin, TX — here's a lesson teaching this Texas country anthem from Jerry Jeff's seminal album Viva Terlingua.
June 12, 2025

Father's Day Sale - 20% Off Gifted Memberhsips!

Buy a gifted membership before June 16 and save 20% on a year of Song Notes Premium! Makes a great gift for yourself, your dad, or any father in your life.
June 6, 2025

"Dancing in the Dark" by Bruce Springsteen

Learn two ways to strum & sing Bruce Springsteen's 1984 classic! Includes a deep-dive into the vocal melody notes, with tips on how to strum while playing the melody.
May 28, 2025

Beginner Guitar Course - 5 New Lessons!

Here's 5 new lessons in the Guitar for Beginners course I'm working on. I also include a few of my favorite lead guitar lessons for your weekend playing.
May 15, 2025

"Centerfield" by John Fogerty

Two new lessons teaching John Fogerty's classic from 1985! A campfire sing & strum lesson, as well step-by-step guidance teaching you the iconic intro riff.
May 4, 2025

Q&A: Can You Learn Guitar Late In Life?

I often get asked if it's possible to start guitar later in life... and in this video I share feedback I've received from older members of my Song Notes program.
April 25, 2025

"Heaven Passing Through" by Turnpike Troubadours

This amazing song from Turnpike's new album has absolutely swept me away! In my lesson I'll walk you through the main fingerstyle riff in five easy-to-follow steps.
April 19, 2025

[Updated] Jose Feliciano Fingerstyle ft. "California Dreamin'"

I've added 2 new bonus videos, plus updated practice notes, for this amazingly fun fingerstyle piece in the style of Jose Feliciano.
April 18, 2025

[Updated] "Apple Blossom" by White Stripes

I've updated my practice notes and added a slow-playthrough video to this fun minor blues tune from Jack & Meg White.

Browse All Recent Lessons →

← back to homepage