Simple & Compound Time/Meter :: We had a preliminary look at time signatures in lesson 4. A great deal of music, particularly that from the Western musical tradition, has an underlying pulse or beat. Think of the beat as something 'you tap your foot to' when you are listening to a piece of music. Bar-lines and time signatures are used to make the underlying rhythm, the pattern of beats of differing weight (strong, medium, weak), clearer to the performer. So, for example, a bouree which has four beats in a bar starts on the last beat; the gavotte, also written with four beat in a bar, starts on the third beat. Neither of these, unclear where bar-lines are absent, would not be clearer with bar-lines written into the score. Sometimes time signatures might mislead the performer and we have adopted a 'convention' about how different time signatures relate to particular underlying rhythmic structures. This is illustrated in the three scores below. Two of these are the same piece of music written in two different ways. This score is in 'three'; we have marked the three beats with dotted bar-lines. The beat is a crotchet (quarter note) and the time signature tells us that there are three crotchets (quarter notes) in each bar. This is an example of simple time; the main beat can be divided into two inner beats, in this case quavers (eighth notes). This score is written in six but 'felt' in two; we have marked the pulse with dotted bar-lines. The beat is actually a dotted crotchet (dotted quarter note) but the beat is divided into three quavers (eighth notes). Therefore, each bar contains six quavers (eighth notes). This is an example of compound time; the main beat can be divided into three inner beats, in this case quavers (eighth notes). The third score has a compound time signature. A performer would be confused - should the piece be in two or in three. If the piece is to be played 'three in a bar' then it should be notated in three, as it was in the first example. We can list various time signatures as simple time signatures or compound time signatures. Beats per Bar Simple Time Signature Beat Compound Time Signature Beat 2 (duple) 2 2 minim (half note) 6 4 dotted minim (dotted half note) 2 4 crotchet (quarter note) 6 8 dotted crotchet (dotted quarter note) 2 8 quaver (eighth note) 6 16 dotted quaver (dotted eighth note) 3 (triple) 3 2 minim (half note) 9 4 dotted minim (dotted half note) 3 4 crotchet (quarter note) 9 8 dotted crotchet (dotted quarter note) 3 8 quaver (eighth note) 9 16 dotted quaver (dotted eighth note) if a piece is so quick that the feeling is of one beat in a bar, then the triple meter (usually 3/2 or 3/8) is compound (i.e. may be divided into three) 4 (quadruple) 4 2 minim (half note) 12 4 dotted minim (dotted half note) 4 4 crotchet (quarter note) 12 8 dotted crotchet (dotted quarter note) 4 8 quaver (eighth note) 12 16 dotted quaver (dotted eighth note) Uneven/Asymmetrical Time :: The formal distinction between simple and compound time becomes blurred particularly in the folk music of central Europe and Asia Minor where the pattern of dances steps is complex. Time signatures in which the number of notes in the bar is odd (i.e. 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, etc.) are common. The uneven numbers break down into shorter inner groups of either simple or compound rhythms. So 5 will break down into a group of 2 followed by a group of 3 or, alternatively, a group of 3 followed by a group of 2. This pattern may change from bar to bar. A good editor will note the inner groups clearly so that the performer can quickly ascertain how the internal rhythmic forms should be accented by placing strong beats at the beginning of each of the inner groupings. Jazz and folk-inspired classical music makes use of uneven time signatures and is the richer for it. Triplets :: There will be occasions when using a simple time signature one wants to subdivide a beat into three. The triplet notation lets you to do this. To listen to this piece, called Triplets, press the play button displayed below. Triplets The triple notation has been shown in two ways - one, with the number 3 over the group of three quavers (eighth notes); the other, with a bracket as well as the number. The three quavers (eighth notes) are played in the time of two quavers (eighth notes), in other words the three quavers (eighth notes) divide a crotchet (quarter note) into three equal parts. We read the notation as meaning 'three notes in the time of two'. Any note can be divided in this way. For example, three crotchets (quarter notes) can be played in the time of a minim (half note). Any of the three notes can be a rest or can itself be combined with other notes or broken up into shorter notes. Why not listen to two examples of the triplet rhythm used to great effect. The first is a ten bar extract from Albinoni's Concerto for Two Oboes and Strings. Notice, in particular, when the triplet rhythm is being played against the quaver rhythm in another line in bars 4, 5 and 6. Albinoni, Op.9 No. 6 - Finale (excerpt) The second comes from The Dolmetsch Library, In Dulce Jubilo by J. S. Bach arranged for four recorders. Here you will find notes tied into and between triplets, triplets containing rests and triplets with minims (half notes) as well as crotchets (quarter notes). In Dulce Jubilo - J.S. Bach arr. Dolmetsch Duplets :: Where triplets are used in simple time to divide beats into three parts. duplets are used in compound time to divide beats into two parts. The notation is very similar except that the number 2 appears above the group which is shorthand for two notes in the time of three. We give an example below. Duplets On the website Music Notation Questions Answered the following question is posed. What is the correct note value of a dotted quaver (eighth note) duplet (two quavers (eighths) in the space of three quavers (eighths))? The website experts comment: "There is considerable controversy over the correct way to notate this duplet. The technically correct way is according to the same rule as other tuplets, which says that a note can only be shortened, never lengthened. This implies that, for instance, 3 notes in a crotchet (quarter) are quavers (eighths), but 5 in a crotchet (quarter) are semiquavers (16ths). This rule implies that 2 notes in a dotted crotchet (dotted quarter) are crotchets (quarters). This system is consistent, sensible, and is recommended by Stone, Roemer, and Rosenthal. However, common practice is to notate 2 in 3/8 as quavers (eighth notes). One possible explanation is that the player's eye is used to seeing a crotchet (quarter) divided into quavers (eighths), regardless of whether it has a dot. This method is recommended by Read and Ross. The most serious problem with this is that a given note value (say, a dotted minim (dotted half)) can be divided into 2 crochets (quarters) or 4 crotchets (quarters). This seems to be wrong by definition, not to mention confusing." Other-lets :: The division of notes into smaller notes using triplets and duplets can be extended to irregular groups of even larger number. Again there are 'notational' conventions for writing such grouping and these are listed below. As with triplets the groupings can include rests and notes of different value. The 'convention' tells us the total time value of the group as written and as played. Irregular Divisions in Simple Time 1 3 notes are written in the time of 2 of the same note example: 3 quavers (eighth notes) in the time of 2 quavers (eighth notes). 2 5, 6 and 7 notes are written in the time of 4 of the same note example: 5 quavers (eighth notes) in the time of 4 quavers (eighth notes). 3 9, 10, 11, 13 and 15 notes are written in the time of 8 of the same note example: 13 quavers (eighth notes) in the time of 8 quavers (eighth notes). Irregular Divisions in Compound Time 1 2 notes are written in the time of 3 of the same note example: 2 quavers (eighth notes) in the time of 3 quavers (eighth notes). 2 4 notes are written in the time of 3 of the same note but also in the time of 3 beats of double the time value. example: 4 quavers (eighth notes) in the time of 3 quavers (eighth notes); but sometimes 4 semiquavers (sixteenth notes) in the time of 3 quavers (eighth notes). The irregular division of compound time is rare and notational 'conventions' are fluid. Simple time division is much more common and this has given time for composers and music publishers to follow and keep to a set of 'notational conventions'. Grouping Notes and Rests :: It would be useful to set out the standard 'conventions' for notating music written in simple or compound time. Simple Time 1 Avoid or minimise ties. 2 If the beat is a crotchet (quarter note): beam quavers (eighth notes) through the whole of the bar in 2 or 3 crotchets (quarter notes) per bar; if the signature is 4 crotchets (quarter notes) per bar, divide the beaming into two groups, separating the second beat from the third. 3 If the beat is a crotchet (quarter note): semiquavers (sixteenth notes) are beamed into crotchet (quarter note) groups; demisemiquavers (thirty-second notes) are beamed into quaver (eighth note) groups. 4 Keep rests to a minimum but make clear the rhythmic structure of the bar, just as with notes (see above). 5 Beaming can continue over rests although this is best used only over a single beat. Compound Time 1 Avoid or minimise ties but try to preserve internal rhythmic structure by not using notation that misleads the eye. For example, in 6 the internal structure of the compound time signature is 2 not 3; in 12, 4 not 6. 2 If the beat is a dotted crotchet (dotted quarter note): beam quavers (eighth notes) through the whole of the bar in 1 dotted crotchet (dotted quarter note) per bar; if the signature is 2, 3 or 4 dotted crotchets (dotted quarter note) per bar, divide the beaming into groups of dotted crotchets (dotted quarter notes). 3 If the beat is a dotted crotchet (dotted quarter note): semiquavers (sixteenth notes) are beamed into dotted crotchet (dotted quarter notes) groups; demisemiquavers (thirty-second notes) are beamed into quaver (eighth notes) or dotted crotchet (dotted eighth notes) groups. 4 Keep rests to a minimum but make clear the rhythmic structure of the bar, just as with notes (see above). 5 A dotted crotchet rest (dotted quarter rest) can be shown as a crotchet rest (quarter rest) follow by a quaver rest (eighth rest) but should not be shown as a quaver rest (eighth rest) follow by a crotchet rest (quarter rest). A quaver note (eighth note) followed by two quaver rests (eighth rests) should be shown as such but two quaver rests (eighth rests) followed by a quaver note (eighth note) is best shown as a crochet rest (quarter rest) followed by a quaver note (eighth note). How We 'Say' Time Signatures :: In England we name time signatures as follows: Three crotchets (quarter notes) in a bar (measure) is called "three-four" time - it is an example of simple triple time; Four minims (half notes) in a bar (measure) is called "four-two" time - it is an example of simple quadruple time; Six quavers (eighth notes) in a bar (measure) is called "six-eight" time - it is an example of compound duple time.