Meter and Time Signature

Now that we have covered the basic principles of meter, it is time to formally introduce the time signature.

Formalizing our View of Meter

So we hinted at this in our last few articles, but a meter in music is made up of two parts:

Duple, Triple, and Quadruple Meters

Similar to how we can categorize the beat length as either simple (if the beat can be broken down into sub-beats of 2) or triple (if it can be broken down into sub-beats of 3), we can also characterize the number of beats per measure. If each measure has two beats, the meter is called duple. If they have three beats, it is triple. Four beats? Quadruple. Five beats? Quintuple. And the pattern continues.

What is a Time Signature?

Using this definition of meter, we can see what a time signature is. A time signature conveys the meter to the performer and is placed at the start of the work, or whenever the meter changes. The time signature consists of two numbers stacked on top of each other, where the first conveys the number of beats per measure, and the second conveys the note length that each beat gets. Notice how these line up exactly with the elements of meter.

Here's an example:

This is the most common time signature you'll see, 4/4. It is also called common time and can be represented with a 'C' (see below).

The top number, 4, conveys that there are 4 beats per measure. The bottom number, 4, conveys that there the beats have length of a quarter note. If that number was 8, for example, then there would be 4 eighth notes per measure. If it was 16, then there would be 4 16th notes per measure. What if it was 2?

That's right, there would be 4 half notes per measure.

We can also combine our fancy naming systems to describe a meter. For example, we know 4/4 is both simple (because the quarter notes can be sub-divided as 2 eighth notes). And we also know it is quadruple (because there are 4 beats per measure).  Note that both of these pieces of information come from the numerator. Thus, this meter is a simple quadruple meter. Pretty simple, right?

Now let's look at another meter:

This time signature has a 6 in the numerator and an 8 on the denominator. We know from the denominator that the beat lengths we'll be focusing on are eighth notes. But this doesn't confirm anything for us. If, for example, the upper number is a 2, then we would have simple duple time. That's because we would have two eighth notes (duple) that could both be broken down into two 16th notes each, confirming a simple meter.

But actually, we have a 6. This will force us to have two groups of three notes each, thus making the eighth note actually the sub-beat, and the larger beat as the quarter note. Therefore, we can determine that the 6 will make the time signature compound duple.

Here's a chart that breaks down the most common time signature numerators and their meanings:

Odd Meters

This concept isn't covered on the AP exam, but what would happen if we had a number like 7 or 8 in our numerator?

For example, if we had the following time signature:

What would we do?

Well, we actually need more information. That's because, in order to get a group of seven eighth notes in a measure, we need to know how those eighth notes are grouped. The number seven doesn't split easily by 2 or 3, which means we will need to have some simple groupings and some compound ones. These could be felt in any of the following ways:

Thus, because there must be a combination of simple and compound beats, we call this meter an odd meter. The desired grouping should either be marked in the score, or shown by the note beaming in the score.

For an example of this in action, take a look at the first page of this score:

You can see that the grouping is marked with the notation (2+2+3) and the notes are beamed to reflect this-- there's two quarter notes and then a group of three in the first measure, for example.

Metric Accents

Continuing with this thinking of strong and weak beats, sometimes we want to accent certain parts of the meter. Before we get into some specific types of metrical accents, let's remind ourselves of the different types of beats in a measure:

We can also divide the beats as we've done before. For example, if we divide a measure of 4/4 into eighth notes, then:

For example, here's a measure of 4/4 with the types of beats labeled:

Sometimes, we want to accent a certain beat (or part of a beat):

Let's consider this example of the snare drum part, played at the beginning of the 20th Century Fox theme:

What metric accent does this excerpt provide? Well, clearly beats one and three are emphasized. In common time (4/4), these are the strong beats. So, we will have a 'heavy' sound as a result.

Now consider this pop song by Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars:

Listen to the introduction. Which beats are emphasized? It's the opposite! Beats 2 and 4 are accented throughout the song (this is called accenting the backbeat in some genres of music). This carries throughout the song. With a faster tempo, this would provide a much greater sense of momentum. This song is interesting though, because its slower tempo (which we'll talk about in section 1.9) combines with the metric accents to provide a really catchy groove.

Reflection: Meter as a Compositional Device

We have already seen how some songs have used meter to progress a narrative (as in Hozier's Take me to Church) or establish a groove (as in Uptown Funk). How else can meters be used?

Consider this slip jig called The Rocky Road to Dublin:

What is the meter of the majority of this excerpt? How can we describe it using our fancy naming conventions?

When the lyrics "of the rocky road to Dublin" are sung, the meter changes. What is the meter for that singular measure? How can we describe it using our fancy naming conventions?

As a listener, are you aware of this meter change when it happens? Why or why not?

Why do you think the composer of this piece wanted to change the meter for that specific measure only? Does this help progress the narrative of the text at all? Why or why not?

Here are some potential answers to these questions, though yours may vary:

Now, take a look at an excerpt of a piece that was recently composed by Max Grafe:

This excerpt changes meter very frequently-- almost every measure. Before listening to the excerpt, predict how this incessant meter change will strike you. Do you think you will enjoy it or not? Why?

Now, listen to the excerpt here. Follow along in the score as you listen.

Were your expectations fulfilled or were they subverted? Why?

What role does the cello (playing pizzicato, which simply means plucking the strings instead of bowing them) play in navigating through the meter changes?

Based off of what you've heard in this and previous articles, what are some ways that composers can use meter changes to reinforce a message that their piece is trying to convey?

Here are some potential answers to these questions, though yours may vary:

Practice

Go back to the previous article and determine the exact time signatures for each excerpt!