In 4/2, there are 4 beats, but the half note gets the beat. instead of four quarter notes, four half notes make up a full measure. each time you tap your foot to the beat, one half note passes. The first example is 4/4 time. In this time signature there are 4 beats possible in each measure, and the quarter note represents one beat. The top number of the time signature tells how many beats are in each measure, and the bottom number tells which note will represent one beat.
