In Unit 4, we discussed the two most common classifications of meter: simple and compound. In this lesson, we will add two more advanced classifications as well as discuss the idea of how beat and division relationships can be used to combine them.
In the example below, each line shows a metric pattern of of a new meter. These are grouped in pairs, so the first two lines are related, the third and fourth lines are related, and the fifth and sixth lines are related. (The 1/1 time signature is just a placeholder and has nothing to do with these meters.) How would you label these ? Can your knowledge of simple and compound meters apply to these? What rhythmic value gets the beat for each line?
In the patterns above, the beaming and pitch pattern shows clear groupings of division, but if you group these divisions into an actual beat, you will realize that each measure is a mixture of a simple and compound beats – some are grouped in two while others are grouped in three. Any meter in which the beats have different lengths is considered to be an asymetric meters.
The first line has five eighth notes in each measure but alternates between groups of two then three. The second line reverses the order of the grouping to three then two, but the number of divisions (eighth notes) remains the same. Both of these are considered 5/8.
5/8 meters have two beats of unequal length – a quarter note and a dotted quarter note. The quarter note has a division of two eighth notes, and the dotted quarter note has a division of three. The only exception to this is when the tempo is slow enough that the eighth note becomes the beat, in which case, this meter becomes a simple quintuple meter with each eighth note divided into two sixteenth notes. When discussing an asymetric meter such as this with other musicians, it is often helpful to describe it using groupings of twos of threes. The first line below is “two plus three”, and the second line is “three plus two”. Try conducting along with both of these.
Any grouping of eighth notes can be turned into an asymetric meter if it has groupings of unequal beats. Look at the following for more examples. How many beats are in each of these meters? If a meter shares a time signature with a common meter (simple or compound), how do these differ and what visual cues can you use to differentiate them? Can you think of other possibilities?
The following is an example of a piece that uses mixed meter (also called “changing meter”. What is the minimum number of voices necessary for a mixed meter?
The following is an example of a polymeter. How would you define this? How is this different than a mixed meter?
quintuplets, setuplets