MusicYears 3–5Theory

Compound time signatures

Understand 6/8, 9/8, and 12/8 time; group notes correctly in compound time

What you'll learn

  1. 1

    Imagine you are marching to a beat. 🥁 One-two-three, one-two-three — that's a waltz!

  2. 2

    How many beats are in one group for a waltz? 🥁

  3. 3

    Tap the beat in groups of 3. 🥁

  4. 4

    Let's clap a 3-beat pattern together. 🎵

  5. 5

    Which beat is the strongest in a 3-beat group? 🎵

  6. 6

    Now try a 4-beat pattern — like a march! 🥁

  7. 7

    A time signature with 3 on top means how many beats in a group? 🎶

Practise Compound time signatures with Whizlo

Free AI-tutored lessons, unlimited practice questions, and progress tracking for ages 7–10. Aligned to the UK National Curriculum.