Bars

Bars indicate a usually regular segment of time according to the number of beats, which is usually determined by the prevailing time signature. Bars are separated from other bars to the left and the right by vertical barlines.

Bars are usually the same length and at the same position for all players, but in some music, bars of different lengths may coincide, and there are situations where some players may have no bars indicated at all.

Each bar has a number, allowing players to keep track of their place in the music and aiding rehearsal. This is especially important in music for multiple players.