Which time signature has four beats per measure and uses quarter notes as the beat unit?

• A. 3/4
• B. 4/4
• C. 3/2
• D. 2/2

Answer: (B)

In this case, the key idea is how a time signature defines both the number of beats in a measure and what kind of note gets one beat. When the top number is four and the bottom number is four, you have four beats in each measure and the beat unit is the quarter note. That means you count four pulses per bar, each pulse lasting the length of a quarter note. This matches the description given: four beats per measure with quarter notes as the beat unit. The other options either reduce the count to three or two beats per measure, or use a longer beat value like a half note, which changes how many counts fit in a measure and what gets the beat. So the pattern of four quarter-note counts per measure is the correct one.