Here's a simpler explanation of beat and meter in music:

 

Beat is the steady pulse in music - like a heartbeat that stays consistent throughout a song. 

 

Time signatures show how beats are organized:

- The top number tells you how many beats are in each measure

- The bottom number tells you what kind of note gets one beat

- Example: 4/4 means four quarter notes per measure

 

Think of measures like containers that hold a specific number of beats. The way these beats are grouped and emphasized creates the meter of the song:

- Groups of 2 beats = duple meter

- Groups of 3 beats = triple meter 

- Groups of 4 beats = quadruple meter