Discussion 4b - Compound Meters

Class discussion

What is a compound meter?

• Beats divided into 3

Duple triple, and quadruple all mean the same thing they do in simple meters. As for examples:

• Duple: 6/8, 6/4, 6/2

What do the top and bottom numbers of compound time signatures mean?

• Top = if you divide by 3, that’s how many beats there are? (Yes, but this doesn’t tell us what the numbers mean)
• Top = how many of the note in the bottom there are, bottom = the note value of the division

Further reading

From Open Music Theory

Compound meters

Meters that divide the beat into three equal parts are compound meters.

When combined with simple meters, there are six types of standard meter in Western music:

• simple duple (beats group into two, divide into two)
• simple triple (beats group into three, divide into two)
• simple quadruple (beats group into four, divide into two)
• compound duple (beats group into two, divide into three)
• compound triple (beats group into three, divide into three)
• compound quadruple (beats group into four, divide into three)

In a time signature, the top number (and the top number only!) describes the type of meter. Following are the top numbers that always correspond to each type of meter:

• simple duple: 2
• simple triple: 3
• simple quadruple: 4
• compound duple: 6
• compound triple: 9
• compound quadruple: 12

Notating meter

In compound meters, the bottom number of the time signature corresponds to the type of note corresponding to a single division of the beat. If a compound meter is notated such that each dotted-quarter note corresponds to a beat, the eighth note is the division of the beat, and thus the bottom number of the time signature is 8. If a compound meter is notated such that each dotted-half note corresponds to a beat, the quarter note is the division of the beat, and thus the bottom number of the time signature is 4. Note that because the beat is divided into three in a compound meter, the beat is always three times as long as the division note, and the beat is always dotted.

Compound duple meter

"Shiver," Radiohead

Strong Quartet No. 17 in B-flat Major, K. 458, "The Hunt," Movement I., Wolfgang A. Mozart

Compound triple meter

"The Tourist," Radiohead

Sonata No. 42 in G Major, Hob. XVI:27, Movement II., Joseph Haydn

Compound quadruple meter

"Exogenesis: Symphony Part 3," Muse

Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp Minor, Op. 27, No. 2, "Moonlight," Movement I., Ludwig van Beethoven

St. Matthew Passion, No. 1, Chorus, "Kommt, ihr Töchter, helft mir klagen," J.S. Bach