In meter, which note value gets the beat?

• A. The tempo marking.
• B. The lower number in the time signature.
• C. The note value that gets the beat.
• D. The number of measures in a phrase.

Answer: (C)

The beat unit in meter is defined by the bottom number of the time signature. It tells you which note value gets one beat, while the top number shows how many of those beats occur in each measure. This is why the phrase describing the beat as “the note value that gets the beat” is the clearest way to pin down the concept: it names exactly what counts as one beat. Tempo markings set the speed of those beats, not which note value constitutes a beat, and the number of measures in a phrase relates to structure, not the beat unit. For examples, in 4/4 the quarter note gets the beat; in 3/4 the quarter note gets the beat; in 6/8 the beat is the eighth-note value (even though many feel two main pulses per measure).