Meter Signatures
- Compound meter signatures differ from simple ones in several ways
- In compound meters:
* The top number of the meter signature is 6, 9, or 12, representing duple, triple, and quadruple. Divide this by three
to get the number of beats per measure
* The lower number is usually 8, but may also be 4 or 16. This number shows the type of note that represents the
division of the beat.
- Compound meter signatures differ from simple ones in several ways
- In compound meters:
* The top number of the meter signature is 6, 9, or 12, representing duple, triple, and quadruple. Divide this by three
to get the number of beats per measure
* The lower number is usually 8, but may also be 4 or 16. This number shows the type of note that represents the
division of the beat.
Rhythmic Notation in Compound Meters
- As in simple meters, rhythms in compound meters should be beamed to reflect the beat unit
- As in simple meters, rhythms in compound meters should be beamed to reflect the beat unit
- Not all compound-meter music is notated with a dotted-quater beat unit, it can be a dotted half note or dotted
eighth note
- Counting compound meters with quter-note beat division can prove challenging; since the quater notes are not
beamed together like eighths are
Syncopation
- As in simple meters, ties and rests in compound meters can create offbeat accents, or syncopation
- Syncopations are created in compound meters by
*placing ties from a weak part of a beat across a stronger part
*an accent mark on a weak beat or the weak part of a beat
*a rest on the strong part of a beat that causes a wearker part to sound accentented
Mixing Beat Divisions and Groupings
called triplets and marked with a 3
- When notating triplets, use the same duration values for the triplet as the duple division it replaces
(example: an eighth note triplet replaces two eighth notes)
eighth note
- Counting compound meters with quter-note beat division can prove challenging; since the quater notes are not
beamed together like eighths are
Syncopation
- As in simple meters, ties and rests in compound meters can create offbeat accents, or syncopation
- Syncopations are created in compound meters by
*placing ties from a weak part of a beat across a stronger part
*an accent mark on a weak beat or the weak part of a beat
*a rest on the strong part of a beat that causes a wearker part to sound accentented
Mixing Beat Divisions and Groupings
- Triplets
called triplets and marked with a 3
- When notating triplets, use the same duration values for the triplet as the duple division it replaces
(example: an eighth note triplet replaces two eighth notes)