A measure is a relatively small unit of time in which the smallest repeatable unit of the rhythmic structure of the song occurs. In other words, a measure is the basic building block of time we use to keep time during a song by stringing many of them together throughout the song.  

Some rhythms sound more complicated than others (for example, bosa nova compared to bluegrass), but they are all based on a foundation of simple, primary beats. If you tap your foot along with a song, you'll usually be tapping along with these primary beats and this is the simplest way to identify them. It is the combination(s) of secondary (less emphasized) beats in between that give different rhythms their unique "flavors."

In a given song in almost any of the common popular styles, a measure will usually contain 2, 3, or 4 of these beats. These songs are referred to as being in "2/4", "3/4", or "4/4" time. Don't worry about the bottom number (4), we're only interested in the top numbers (2, 3, or 4) for our purposes here. These basically fall into 2 categories:
a. those with 2 or 4 beats per measure (2/4 time or 4/4 time) and
b. those with 3 beats per measure (3/4 time)

3. 2/4 or 4/4 Time?

Get ready for this! . . . Most songs in this category are, for some reason, considered 4/4 whether there are 2 or 4 of what we may hear as primary beats ("foot tapping" beats).  When there are only 2 of these primary beats, the other 2 less emphasized beats in between are counted, resulting in 4 total beats.   Strange as that may sound, the truth is, the majority of the time, you'll hear only 2 primary beats and it is still referred to as 4/4 time!  Only when the bass is intentionally doubling up on the number of notes played does it actually sound like there are 4 primary beats in a 4/4 song! Confusing, huh?

Technically, 2/4 time does exist, but for simplicity, I almost pretty much  write bluegrass and traditional country (and a lot of rock and other common styles, too) tablature as being in 4/4 time. 

4

So . . . the majority of the musical world goes here - 4/4 time! For MOST of the songs you're likely to send me, your biggest challenge will be deciding whether to call 2 foot taps or 4 foot taps "one measure." Here's where we're going to take it one step beyond the foot taps. We're going to single out the one element in most musical styles that is most capable of telling us how many beats in a measure - the bass. The bass and drums are responsible more than any other part of a band for keeping time. Since some styles don't use drums, we're going to focus in on the bass.

a. 2 primary beats per measure - As I mentioned earlier, in styles such as traditional country, bluegrass, and folk, you'll usually hear 2 primary beats (and thus, 2 bass notes) per measure. And these will typically alternate back and forth between just two notes as long as the song remains in the same chord. When the chord changes, it alternates within a new pair. Often, this one bit of knowledge is enough to help you get an accurate measure count by listening to these two notes alternate back and forth. If need be, turn the bass up and the treble down on your stereo to hear the bass instrument better. 

b. 4 primary beats per measure "Walking Bass" - If you hear the bass begin to suddenly playing twice as fast, it is now putting 4 notes per measure for a more exciting effect. Each measure is still the same length of time as before, it's just that there are now twice as many bass notes in each measure. In other words, the bass is playing faster, but the measures are still going by at the same rate. Sometimes this is called a "walking bass." Normally, you won't hear the bass walk all the way through the song except for some very old country recordings or swing music.  With "walking bass" the bass will usually play a particular group of 4 notes per measure (rather than 2) and will repeat that same group for each measure until the chord changes.  However, at other times, "walking bass" notes will be in lines going in one direction (up or down in pitch) during a given measure and following measures will not repeat these same exact notes.  This is one of the many exceptions to every rule that you just can't completely get away from.  And, of course, these can make this process a little more difficult.  Experience will help you make it through these tricky spots.

Other styles may have more complicated rhythms and bass patterns, but just tap your foot and you'll at least have a shot at finding those primary sounding beats. And with practice you'll be able to tell if a measure in a 4/4 song has 2 or 4 "foot tapping" beats.

5

Songs in 3/4 time tend to be fairly easy to identify since this is the common "waltz" rhythm. Also, such a large majority of rhythms are based on multiples of 2 or 4 beats per measure, so once you get used to identifying these, songs in 3/4 time really tend to stand out.

6. Note for Beginners

It's impossible to teach someone who is new at it to listen to timing this way and expect them to be an expert overnight. But, as a beginner,  if you can just put in some practice now, you'll soon get a better understanding of how to apply the above principles for good results. And I highly recommend getting someone with experience to help you get started on this if you are new at it.

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