What are measures separated by?

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Measures are the units of musical time, and they’re separated by vertical lines called bar lines that run through the staff. These bar lines mark the end of one measure and the start of the next, helping you count beats and keep the rhythm coordinated across all parts of the score. Other elements serve different roles: clef symbols show the pitch range of the staff, time signatures specify how many beats are in each measure and which note value gets the beat, and key signatures indicate the scale with its sharps or flats. But only bar lines provide the visual boundary between measures.