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Rhythm - Divisions
Division of the Beat In most musical passages we hear durations that are shorter than the beat The DIVISIONS of the beat Beats generally divide into two or three equal parts Two equal parts is called SIMPLE TIME Three equal parts is called COMPOUND TIME
Division of the Beat Don’t confuse meter with beat Songs should be classified as the following: Simple Duple, Simple Triple, Simple Quadruple Compound Duple, Compound Triple, Compound Quadruple
Division of the Beat - Practice Simple of Compound? Jingle Bells Pop Goes the Weasel Silent Night Home on the Range
Simple Time Signatures A time signature is a symbol that tells the performer how many beats will occur in each measure, what note value will represent the beat, and whether the beat is simple of compound Time Signatures for a SIMPLE beat have 2, 3, or 4 as the top number.
Simple Time Signatures Beats per measure 2 2 3 3 4 4 Beat Note quarter half sixteenth quarter eighth quarter Division of the Beat
Simple Time Signatures Jingle Bells
Compound Time Signatures If the beat divides into 3 equal parts, as in compound beat, the note value representing the beat will be a dotted value Beat note Division of the Beat Dotted Half Dotted Quarter Dotted Eighth Dotted Sixteenth
Compound Time Signatures Dotted values present a problem where time signatures are concerned. (You can’t put a fraction as the bottom number!) Thus, a compound time signature informs the musician of the NUMBER OF DIVISIONS of beat contained in a measure (top number), and what the DIVISION DURATION is (bottom number.) Therefore, the top number of a compound time signature will be 6, 9, or 12 (divisible by three because there’s three subdivisions per beat)
Compound Time Signatures Beats per measure 2 2 3 3 4 4 Beat Note dotted quarter dotted half dotted eighth dotted quarter dotted quarter dotted half Division of the Beat
Compound Time Signatures Take Me Out to the Ball Game
Time Signatures Summarized There are two types of beat - simple and compound There are three types of meter – duple, triple, and quadruple Remember that the BOTTOM number of a time signature stands for the beat value in simple time, but the division value in compound time
Assignment Worksheet (2-2 and 2-3) FRONT AND BACK! 6/8 rhythms – familiarize yourself with how compound time works/feels. You’ll perform these in class tomorrow