METER There are two basic types of METER, or Time Signatures, used in Classical music before the 20th century. SIMPLE METER - a time signature in which the beat, or basic pulse, is divided into TWO parts. SIMPLE METERS will have 2, 3 or 4 as the top number of the Time Signature. The top number indicates how many beats are in each measure. The bottom number indicates what note value is used as the beat, or basic pulse. Here are the commonly used SIMPLE METERS:
2 3 4 & 4 œ œ 4 œ œ œ 4 œ œ œ œ BEAT = Quarter note
2 œ œ 3 œ œ œ 4 œ œ œ œ & 8 J J 8 J J J 8 J J J J BEAT = Eighth note
2 3 4 & 2 ˙ ˙ 2 ˙ ˙ ˙ 2 ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ BEAT = Half note
In each of these SIMPLE METERS the beat can be divided into TWO parts.
BEAT Division 2 œ œ 3 œ œ œ 4 œ œ œ œ of beat & 4 œ œ œ œ 4 œ œ œ œ œ œ 4 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
BEAT j j j j j j j j j Division 2 œ œ 3 œ œ œ 4 œ œ œ œ of beat & 8 œ œ œ œ 8 œ œ œ œ œ œ 8 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
BEAT Division 2 ˙ ˙ 3 ˙ ˙ ˙ 4 ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ of beat & 2 œ œ œ œ 2 œ œ œ œ œ œ 2 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
Notice that the TWO note DIVISIONS of the BEAT are GROUPED together 2 COMPOUND METERS are Time Signatures in which the BEAT can be divided into THREE parts. COMPOUND METERS will have 6, 9 or 12 as the top number of the Time Signature. The bottom number of the Time signature DOES NOT indicate which note gets the beat, but indicates what note value will make up the THREE parts of each BEAT. The top number indicates the total number of these divisions in each measure.
2 dotted quarter note 3 dotted quarter note 4 dotted quarter note BEATS per measure BEATS per measure BEATS per measure BEAT = Division 6 œ. œ. 9 œ. œ. œ. 12 œ. œ. œ. œ. of beat into & 8 œ œ œ œ œ œ 8 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 8 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ THREE parts total of 6 divisions total of 9 divisions total of 12 divisions
The note that gets the beat in a COMPOUND METER is a dotted note.
Here are the other commonly used COMPOUND METERS:
2 dotted eighth note 3 dotted eighth note 4 dotted eighth note BEATS per measure BEATS per measure BEATS per measure BEAT = j j j j j j j j j 6 œ . œ . 9 œ . œ . œ . 12 œ . œ . œ . œ . Division & 16 œ œ œ œ œ œ 16 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 16 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ of beat into THREE parts total of 6 divisions total of 9 divisions total of 12 divisions
2 dotted half note 3 dotted half note 4 dotted half note BEATS per measure BEATS per measure BEATS per measure BEAT = Division 6 ˙. ˙. 9 ˙. ˙. ˙. 12 ˙. ˙. ˙. ˙. of beat into & 4 œ œ œ œ œ œ 4 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 4 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ THREE parts total of 6 divisions total of 9 divisions total of 12 divisions
Notice that theTHREE note DIVISIONS of the BEAT are GROUPED together.