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1.170 meter

ES: tiempo, compás, I: tempo, misura, F: indication de mesure, mesure, D: Taktart, Metrum, NL: maatsoort, DK: taktart, S: taktart, FI: aika-arvo.

The basic pattern of note values and accents that remains unaltered throughout a composition or a section of it. Meters can be duple or triple depending on how the beat is grouped in the composition (or in sections thereof):

Other recurrence patterns are possible:

Other than quadruple and sextuple meters, these other recurrence patterns were not frequently used prior to the 20th Century.

In addition to classification by primary beat grouping, meters can be further classified by how the primary beat is subdivided: if in two, the meter is simple; if in three, the meter is compound.

Time signatures are placed at the beginning of a composition (or section) to indicate the meter. For instance, a piece written in simple triple meter with a beat on each quarter note has a time signature of 3/4.

Simple duple meter:

[image of music]

Simple triple meter:

[image of music]

Simple quadruple meter (French folk tune, Au clair de la lune):

[image of music]

Simple quintuple meter (B. Marcello, 1686-1739):

[image of music]

Compound duple meter (unknown):

[image of music]

Compound triple meter (J.S. Bach, 1685-1750):

[image of music]

Compound quadruple meter (P. Yon, 1886-1943):

[image of music]

See also

hemiola, time signature


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