I. Fundamentals
Compound Meter and Time Signatures
Mark Gotham and Chelsey Hamm
Key Takeaways
- Compound meters are meters in which the beat divides into three and then further subdivides into six.
- Duple meters have groupings of two beats, triple meters have groupings of three beats, and quadruple meters have groupings of four beats. You can determine these groupings aurally by listening carefully and tapping along to the beat.
- There are different conducting patterns for duple, triple, and quadruple meters; these are the same in both compound and simple meters.
- Time signatures in compound meters express two things: how many divisions are contained in each measure (the top number), and the division unit—which note gets the division (the bottom number).
- Rhythms in compound meters get different counts based upon their division unit. Beats that are not articulated (because they contain more than one beat or because of ties, rests, or dots) receive parentheses around their counts.
In the previous chapter, Simple Meter and Time Signatures, we explored rhythm and time signatures in simple meters—meters in which the beat divides into two and further subdivides into four. In this chapter, we will learn about compound meters—meters in which the beat divides into three and further subdivides into six.
Listening to and Conducting Compound Meters
Compound meters can be duple, triple, or quadruple, just like simple meters. In other words, the beats of compound meters group into sets of either two, three, or four. The difference is that each beat divides into three divisions instead of two, as you can hear by listening carefully to the following examples:
-
“End of the Road” (1992) by Boyz II Men is in a duple meter—the beats group into a two pattern. Tap along to the beat and notice how it divides into three parts instead of two. If you further divide the beat (by tapping twice as fast), you will feel that the beat subdivides into six parts.
- The second movement (Minuet) of Franz Joseph Haydn’s Sonata no. 42 in G Major (1784) is in a compound triple meter. Listen for the groupings of three beats, each of which divides into three.
- Finally, a compound quadruple meter contains four beats, each of which divides into three. Listen to “Exogenesis Symphony Part III” (2010) by the alternative rock band Muse. This is in a compound quadruple meter; in other words, the beats are grouped into a four pattern.
In general, it is less common for music to be written in compound meters. Nonetheless, you must learn how to read music and perform in these meters in order to master Western musical notation.
Review the conducting patterns for simple meters in the previous chapter, as they are the same for compound meters.
Time Signatures
Measures in compound meters are equivalent to one beat grouping (duple, triple, or quadruple), just as they are in simple meters. However, the two numbers in the time signature express different information for compound meters. The top nu