Music Theory Basics

Time Signatures
  

     Having roots at least as old as the rhythmic modes of the late middle ages (12th and 13th centuries) the concept of meter is basic to the performance of western music. A recurring pulse (beat) is organized into regular groups (measures) by accenting the first pulse of each group. Modern meters are divided up according to how many beats are in each measure, and by how the beat is divided into smaller notes.

     The standard way for the time signature to appear in music is after the key signature with one number directly above the other. In order to cut down on the number of graphics and still have the site readable to as many people as possible I will follow the convention of "upper # / lower #." That will result in time signatures that look like this; 2/4, and not like they actually do in printed music.
  

The Time Signature
  

     If you use the American nomenclature of quarter notes and eighth notes (as opposed to the English terms crotchet, quaver, etc.) then you can read the time signature as if it were a fraction. The upper number tells you how many notes of the type represented by the lower number there are in each measure. For instance, in 6/8 time the lower number (8) would be the denominator of the fraction one eighth (1/8), so there are 6 eighth notes in a measure of 6/8. In 4/4 time there are 4 quarter notes in a measure, 2/16 time has 2 sixteenth notes in a measure, etc. The next things you need to determine about a meter is what kind of note represents one beat, and how many beats are in a measure. These 2 answers are actually the result of a single question. Are we in simple or compound time?

  

Simple vs. Compound
  

     Simple and compound time refers to the division of the beat. In simple time the beat is divided into 2 equal parts. In compound time the beat is divided into 3 equal parts. All meters where the lower number is both larger than, and divisible by 3 are compound (6, 9, 12, etc.). All meters where the upper  number is an even number that is not divisible by 3 (2, 4, 8, etc.) are simple. Odd numbers not divisible by 3 present a different aspect of meter that we will deal with later. 
  

Duple vs. Triple
   
      Duple and triple refer to the number of beats in a measure. Duple is 2, and triple is 3 beats per measure. Quadruple, quintuple, and larger grouping are also possible. Quadruple, which is actually quite common, is actually a hybrid. It is 2 duple measures stuck together, with the first being slightly more important. So in a measure of 4 both beats 1 and 3 get a slight emphasis, but beat one is slightly stronger than beat 3.
  
How to classify meters
 
      Each meter can be categorized in both ways, so 2 words are required to describe them. For instance, 2/4 would be simple-duple, with 2 beats divided into 2 eighth notes each. In each case it is the upper number that tell us what we need to know. For duple meters the upper number will tell you how many beats are in each measure, and the lower number will tell you what sort of note gets the beat. In compound meters the upper number divided by 3 will tell you how many beats are in each measure, and the lower number will tell you what kind of note represents the division. Here are a few examples:
2/4 - The upper number is not divisible by 3, so the meter is simple. In simple time the upper number is the number of beats and the lower number the value of the note that represents the beat. That means we have 2 beats in each measure, and the quarter note gets the beat, and it is a simple-duple meter.
 
6/8 - The upper number is divisible by 3, and larger than 3, so it is compound time. The upper number divided by 3 is 2, so there are 2 beats in each measure. The eight note is the division of the beat, and the beat is divided into 3 equal parts in compound time, so there are 3 eighth notes in each beat. That means that the dotted quarter note gets the beat, and it is an example of compound-duple time.
 
3/4 - The upper number is divisible by 3, but it is not larger than 3, so the meter is simple. In simple time the upper number is the number of beats and the lower number the value of the note that represents the beat. That means we have 3 beats in each measure, and the quarter note gets the beat, and it is a simple-triple meter.
 
Beaming within a meter
  
     It is customary to beam any notes faster than the quarter note together as nearly as possible by beat. That means that you can tell a measure of 6/8 from a measure of 3/4 even if there is no meter signature. In 6/8 the eighth notes will be beamed together in 2 groups of 3 each, while in 3/4 they will be beamed in 3 groups of 2 each.
   

Coming Soon - Meter Drill Sheets