Locate the time signature. Time signatures consist of two numbers. The top number tells you how many beats or counts exist in a measure. The bottom number refers to a note value and tells you what note value is equal to one beat.
Determine how many beats exist in one measure by looking at the top number. If it is a four, then there will be four beats or counts per measure.
Learn about note values. Note values stem from the whole note. The whole note is the longest followed by the half note that is half as long, then the quarter, eighth and 16th note. Each progressive note value is worth half as much as the previous one. If a whole note is worth four beats, then half notes have two beats and quarter notes have one beat.
Decide what note value is worth one beat. To do this, make the time signature into a fraction and replace the top number with one. This will tell you what note value you are dealing with. If there is a four on the bottom, the quarter note gets one beat because the time signature is one quarter. If there is a two, the half note gets one beat. If there is a four, the whole note gets one beat. An eighth or 16th means that the eighth note and 16th note gets one beat.
Use the beats per measure and the note value that gets one beat to determine how the measure is structured. There are usually three or four beats to the measure. If there are four quarter notes in one measure, then you would count the whole note as four beats, the half note as two, the quarter as one, the eighth as half and the 16th as one quarter of a beat.
Determine how many beats each note in the measure is worth. Start a metronome and hold each note out for the required length of time. If there are two eighths, you must play two eighth notes in the time it takes for the metronome to click once.