| Simple time signatures
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| 4/4 (quadruple) | Reel-common time: widely used in most forms of Western popular music. Most common time signature in rock, blues, country, funk, and pop
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| 2/2 (duple) | alla breve, cut time: used for marches. Sometimes called "in 2". |
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| 2/4 (duple) | used for polkas or marches |
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| 3/4 (triple) | used for waltzes |
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| 3/8 (triple) | also used for the above, but usually suggests higher tempo or shorter hypermeter. |
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| Compound time signatures
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| 6/8 (duple) | double jigs, polkas, fast obscure waltzes, tarantella, marches, and some rock music. |
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| 9/8 (triple) | "compound triple time", used in triple / Slipjigs, otherwise occurring rarely |
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| 12/8 (quadruple) | also common in slower blues (where it is known as shuffle). |
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