Melodies in meter 6 4. Rhythm and tempo in music

Today we will talk about the musical size - the numerical expression of the meter, as well as how to count and conduct in various meters, but first we will repeat a little what pulse, meter, strong and weak beats are.

There can be a lot of options for a rhythmic pattern in a two-quarter measure. Let's see some of them.

Size 3/4 "three quarters" - it has three beats, and each is equal to one quarter note. The score is "one-and, two-and, three-and." The sum of three quarters can also be dialed in different ways. If, for example, you combine all three quarter notes into one note, you get a half note with a dot - this is the longest note that can be written in a measure with a given time signature. See some rhythm fill options for this time signature.

Size 3/8 "three eighths" - it looks like three-quarters in its three-part, only here the duration of each beat here is an eighth, not a quarter. The score is "one-two-three". Eight is the main duration, but it can be divided into sixteenths if necessary, or combined into quarters (if two eighths are connected) or quarters with a dot (three eighths are connected at once). Common variants of rhythmic filling:

Complex musical time signatures

The most commonly found complex meters in music are four quarters and six eighths. Each of them consists of two simple ones.

Size 4/4 "four quarters" - contains four beats, and the duration of each beat is one quarter note. This size was formed from the sum of two simple sizes 2/4, which means that it has two accents - on the first share and on the third. The first part is called strong, and the third, which corresponds to the beginning of the second simple size, is called relatively strong which is weaker than strong. Additionally, let us know that 4/4 time signature is sometimes also indicated by a sign similar to the letter C (open circle).

Size 6/8 "six eighths" - this is a six-beat measure, it is composed of two simple three-beat, the pulsation goes in eighth notes. The strong beat is the first in it, and the relatively strong beat is the fourth (the beginning of the second simple time signature is 3/8).

In addition to these most common complex sizes, the musician may meet others similar to them: 4/8, 6/4, 9/8, 12/8. All these complex dimensions are formed according to a similar principle. For example, time signature 9/8 is three measures of 3/8 added together, 12/8 is four of the same connected simple measures.

mixed sizes

Mixed complex sizes are formed when not the same, but different simple ones are connected together, for example, a two-part with a three-part. Of the variety of mixed sizes, four stand out, which catch the eye more often than others. These are 5/4 and 5/8, as well as 7/4 and 7/8. From time to time, a musician may come across a meter 11/4, but this is very rare (for example, in the final chorus "Light and Power" from the opera "The Snow Maiden" by N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov).

Sizes 5/4 and 5/8 ("five quarters" and "five eighths") - five beats, they are based on the same principle, only in one case the pulsation goes in quarter durations, and in the other - in eights. Since these sizes are complex, they consist of two simple ones - two-part and three-part. Moreover, variants of these sizes are possible, depending on the order of the simple ones.

For example, if 2/4 goes first in 5/4, and then 3/4, then the relatively strong beat falls on the third beat. But if in the same measure a three-part is first set, and after two-part, then in this case a relatively strong beat will already fall on the fourth beat, thus one accent will be shifted, and this will change the entire internal rhythmic organization in the measure.

In order for the performer to know which version of the mixed time signature he will have to deal with, in the notes, next to the set time signature, it is often indicated in brackets which simple meters it is composed of. According to the presented sum of sizes, it is usually clear what comes first - 2/4 or 3/4. For example: 5/4 (2/4 + 3/4) or 5/4 (3/4 + 2/4). The same applies to size 5/8.

Sizes 7/4 and 7/8 - are composed of three simple ones, one of which is tripartite, and the remaining two are two-part. Such a time signature can most often be seen in arrangements of Russian folk songs, sometimes also in instrumental music by predominantly Russian composers.

Variants of the addition of the seven-beat measure differ in the position of the three-beat meter (more often it is located either at the beginning or at the end of the bar, much less often in the middle).

We have analyzed the main musical scales. As in any business, it was important to understand the principle here, then when you meet with some unusual size, you will not get lost. However, if there are still things that you have not figured out, then write your questions in the comments. Perhaps they will help to significantly improve this material.

Hello friends! Today I open a series of articles related not only to "percussion" and drums, but to music in general. We will consider important musical terms and definitions that every musician should know. This article will focus on musical meter.

What is a musical meter?

Meter in music (definition, term)- this is a measure that sets an imaginary coordinate time grid, which consists of a continuous alternation, equal in duration, strong and weak beats. Such shares are called metric.

Unit and expression of musical meter.

musical meter expressed - in size (digital expression), reflected in measures and unit of measurement - are beats. We will talk about shares now.

P.S. Very often you can find the use of the expression of a musical meter in crosswords and crossword puzzles.

What is a share and what are the shares in music?

Musical share- unit of measurement of musical meter. Shares are:

• Strong.
• Relatively strong.
• Weak.

A strong beat in music is considered to be accentuated, and a weak beat is not accentuated.

However, remember: downbeat and accent are not the same thing. The accent can be applied to any beat. The choice of the beat to be emphasized falls on the shoulders of the composer. Imagination tells him how the future composition should look like. Based on this, the author places emphasis.

Metric accent- this is the allocation of certain notes and shares. Metric accents can be either real (higher volume due to the sound) or imaginary (highlight with a pause).

To clearly understand what a meter is, let's take a ruler with millimeter notches, where the distance between the small dashes will mean notes.

The middle dashes will be the beginning of the weak beat, and the large ones will be the beginning of the strong beat.

Along the lines of our figurative ruler, you can set rhythmic patterns from notes of various durations. Drawings can be completely different, but they must fit into the lines of our line.

Friends, in general, the concept of musical meter is rather abstract. In musical works, it may not be expressed at all, and be present only in the “head” of the musician.

What is musical scale?

Meter and size in music are closely intertwined, in most cases, if we are talking about meter, then it can be replaced by size. But it is worth remembering an important difference - the size sets the relative duration of each beat, which the meter does not do. In addition, time signature in music is related to the measure, so the following definition can be given:

time signature- "numerical" display of the meter, showing how many beats are used in a measure and their relative duration, and is indicated as a fraction.

Take, for example, the time signature "2/4", it tells us that there will be 2 beats in a measure, and the duration of each beat is one. Such an example is often used for children, explaining the concept of time signature in music.

On the stave, the time signature is placed immediately after the key at the beginning of the composition or measure from which it changes.

The fractional line between the figures showing the size on the musical staff is not put. The picture below shows the size - 4/4 (four quarters).

What are musical meters and sizes? Types of sizes and examples.

Musical time signatures are divided into:

1. Simple.
2. Complex.

Simple measurements (meters) in music.

Simple meters are two-part and three-part.

• Double meter- musical meter, in which the strong beat is repeated evenly through one weak beat. Double meters include the following sizes: "2/2", "2/4", "2/8", etc.
• Tripartite meter- a musical meter in which the strong beat is repeated evenly every two weak beats (consists of one strong beat and two weak beats). The following sizes belong to triples: "3/2", "3/4", "3/8", etc.

Complex meters (meters) in music.

Complex (combined, composite, mixed) meter- a musical meter obtained by merging two or more simple meters. Therefore, complex meters can include several downbeats. The total number of which is equal to the number of strong fractions of simple meters that make up the complex meter.

There is one “raisin” in a complex meter: the first strong beat of a complex meter is called strong, but the subsequent strong beats are called relatively strong. The emphasis of strong beats is higher, and relatively strong beats are lower.

What are complex dimensions?

Anything larger than a three-part meter is considered a complex size, for example:

• quadruple - "4/2", "4/4", etc.
• five-part - "5/4", "5/8", etc.
• hex - "6/4", "6/8", etc.
• seven-lobed - "7/4", "7/8", etc.
• eight-part - "8/4", "8/8", etc.
• nine-part - "9/4", "9/8", etc.
• and others.

There are no strict limits on complex sizes. Everything rests on the musician's imagination and, accordingly, its implementation. However, it is worth remembering that the more complex the meter is, the more difficult it is for a composer to write and play such music, and the more difficult it is to perceive and feel it for a simple listener.

What are asymmetrical sizes (mixed) sizes?

A feature of asymmetric sizes is the combination of two-part and three-part meters. For example, let's take the most common mixed musical time signature "5/4", which can be obtained from two options for combining double and triple time signatures:

1. Option: "3/4" + "2/4" - in this case, the emphasis will be on the first and fourth beats of the measure.
2. Option: "2/4" + "3/4" - in this case, the emphasis will be on the first and third beats of the bar.

The five-beat time signature "5/4" in music is found mainly in jazz and folk music.

Other examples of asymmetrical (mixed) sizes are: "7/4", "9/4" or even "11/4", as well as their varieties "7/8", "9/8", "11/8" and so Further. For homework, try to figure out for yourself what sizes you can combine to get such mixed sizes? Write in the comments what you got =)

What is a variable size?

Another type of size is variable size. It is formed when, during one composition, the size changes from one to another (this can happen repeatedly). This type of meter is found mainly in folk music and is associated for the most part with the freedom to perform songs not constrained by any musical framework.

What is an unequal meter (size)?

The concept of an unequal meter appeared in the 20th century and means a musical meter in which the duration of the shares included in the meter is different. Most often, an unequal meter can be found in folk songwriting. As an example - Bulgarian folk songs. An unequal meter is very rare in modern music, so you should not focus on it, just remember that there is such a kind of musical meter =)

How to determine the musical size?

It is very difficult for a simple listener or a beginner to determine the size, for this you need to feel the alternation of strong, weak and relatively strong beats well. This is called "pulsation". By learning to feel the "pulse" of music, you can determine the size by ear. Determining simple sizes is not so difficult, but with complex ones it can be extremely difficult even for professionals.

On a note! Very well able to feel the music (and size, respectively) dancers.

The sizes of the main dances (who still remembers which dances, write in the comments):

• Samba - "2/4".
• Polka - "2/4".
• Cha-cha-cha - "4/4".
• Rumba - "4/4".
• Paso Doble - "2/4".
• Jive - "4/4".
• Foxtrot - "4/4".
• Quickstep - "4/4".
• Tango - "2/4".
• Gallop - "2/4".
• Waltz - "3/4" (three quarters).

What kind of meter notation can be found on the stave?

• With- an abbreviation and equivalent of the musical size 4/4.
• ¢ - alla breve (alla breve) - an abbreviated designation and the equivalent of 2/2 size.

Again on the topic of musical illiteracy ....
Please advise to listen to some songs where the drum part is played in time signatures 5/8 and 7/8 (like two songs) - I just can't imagine how it sounds... even Gitra PRO didn't help... unless it's hard to name popular compositions - so that you can easily get it on the net ... thanks in advance!

30.07.06 16:54:51

Buddy, prog will help you! I highly recommend Arena! Pretty much any song.

I also once had problems with odd sizes. I had to count aloud, which I never liked :) But after a couple of months of such trainings in 5/4, 7/8, 9/8 and other people I feel quite good 8)

30.07.06 19:07:34

But the question arises ... for example, we take the size 5/4: you need to count exactly one - two - three - four and then count five much faster than the previous speed or just try to "exactly place the count of five in the normal period for four"

30.07.06 20:14:33

Usually such complex sizes are "divided" into simpler ones: 5/4 is 3/4 + 2/4 or vice versa. Weikl suggests counting 5/4 as dotted quarter+dotted quarter+2 quarters. By the way, Take Five sounds exactly like this (on a rhythmic basis).

30.07.06 22:26:29

I have a bassist friend, they wanted to play together. He had one thing on 7/8 (did not reach it) and one 5/8. Even according to the musical phrase itself, it was more like 10/8. two measures were played at 5/8, but the "reference" note of the second 5/8s (out of 10) was not on the first beat (eighth), but on the second. rolled. I got out of the situation (not without the help of a bassist - he is a very good musician. Arranger and composer) and so a verbal rhythmic riff was invented. It looks ridiculous to the point of disgrace, but it helps a lot. I highlighted the supporting notes (percussive) in the riff in capital letters. And by the number of syllables, it can be seen that there are 10 of them. Yes, and we don’t run away from the shock beats. So I suffered with this thing. He also comes up with such tricky bass riffs - a strong beat and the first one - he has different things. th reasons .. Such a pun .... Eh, but I liked his music.

31.07.06 17:20:17

Because you will count in 8th notes! After all, the duration of the notes does not provide for fifth notes, there are current whole, second, fourth, eighth, sixteenth and so on! On the right side is written the duration of the notes that you will count, and on the left - the number of notes of this duration!
If I'm wrong - correct me!

31.07.06 18:04:31

Enik69, as it were, yes. Only the "counting" is more musical than the numbers. And yet it is 10/8 in texture and not 6 + 4. Well, you need to hear this song. (Good :-) And why I chose the "counting" - because that it reflects exactly the rhythm of the picture and not the cold numbers 10/8. Under these numbers, a lot of rhythms can be stored, but under my counting rhyme, only one. Moreover, the syllables "ra, ha, shcha, etc." they were chosen not from a bulldozer. They seem to show where and which drums to use. That is, the phrase "too tum" meant two eighth notes in a barrel. That is, it is almost a pattern from a drum machine someone will understand :-)))
Well, plus, this is just a conva. And not a hard drawing. You can change it right along the way. You just need to come up with (I call these rhymes "figures") such a figure and, in addition to the dimension, it will not let you fall out of the shares (i.e. does not allow to pass ..... a strong beat, which often happens in odd sizes)

Frekazoid, the denominator is four, which means the grid of recorded notes is quarter. Actually, what Chili P.

31.07.06 18:30:39

that immediately came to mind, in size 7/4: Joe Satriani - Flavor Crystal 7, and in size 5/4 - Tool - The Grudge.

Chili_Pepper explained everything very well and clearly :)

And whenever you need to determine the size of the composition, I count the beats on my fingers)) It almost always helps. For example, if you hear that basically the rhythm goes 8, then I bend my finger for each share)) I count the number of "thrown" fingers and the size is determined :))

01.08.06 09:31:10

Why can you count with your fingers only from one to five?
for example, if you count with one hand (I always do this), then get it like this:
We start with the thumb, count all 5 fingers 2 times, it turns out ten, but what about the last share again on the thumb? here's 11/8
:) it sounds more complicated than it looks... so counting is easy.
By the way, 8th rhythms are better for me than 4th ... 5/8 is my favorite size, rather because for me it is the easiest.

01.08.06 13:22:10

It is more difficult not with those works where the size is odd, but where it changes several times. There you really need to count all the shares .. How do you, for example, like this :)

Introduction (4 v. 4/4)
Theme I (8 vol. 4/4) + (7/16 + 2/4) + (7/16 + 4/16 + 5/15) + (2 vol. 7/16) + (17/16)
Repetition of theme I
Theme II (7 v. 6/8) + (7/16) + (17/16)
Repetition of theme I
Repetition of theme II
Repetition of theme II (another texture 32mi)

I took the measures in brackets, because the accentuation of different instruments is different, for example, measures 4/4 are the imposition of rhythms by 16 notes 3 + 3 + 3 + 3 + 4 (cello, mandolin) and 4 + 4 + 4 + 4 (guitar ). the grouping of measures is given from the point of view of the drummer :)

Bars 17/16 = 4+3+3+3+4
bars 7/16 = 4+3
bars 5/16 = 3+2

The work itself (Byzantium) is performed at a slow pace, you can listen here:

03.08.06 01:38:19

there is no shit there
but in general, if the change in size is due only to the desire to "smart" - then this is in vain. IMHO the size should be due to the melody. If it is such that it lies in an odd size, then this is musical.
We played a song where the verse was 4/4 and the chorus was 7/8.
And the link is not working.

03.08.06 02:42:58

I envy people who find complex sizes easy, so a few years ago a guitarist in my band came up with an interesting thing. Tried to play - it doesn't work. The size was probably calculated for about twenty minutes, it turned out to be 13/16 (the same as 4/4, only without three sixteenths). They suffered and suffered, and in the end they simply added the missing 3 sixteenths.

GOALS:

1. Know the correspondence of durations and sizes.
2. Know what durations exist, the difference between notes and pauses from each other in sound and writing.
3. Know how to imitate note durations and rests with claps. Know how to count with your foot and out loud.
4. Know the definition of the Musical size (2/4, 3/4, 4/4) and its designation on the musical staff.
5. Know the correspondence of durations and musical time signatures in a measure.

Notes and their recording

Musical sounds are recorded using notes. Musical signs (notes) consist of the following parts:

1 - checkbox; 2 - calm; 3 - head

Depending on the duration of the note, the head can be empty or filled, flags
there may be several, calm and flags may be absent. Note head position
relative to the rulers of the staff, determines the pitch, and the relative position of the notes -
the order in which they are executed.

When the stem is present, it is directed up (from the right side of the note head) or down (from the left side, excluding the long note). In most cases, the stem is directed downwards if the note head is on or above the center line of the staff, and upwards otherwise. The flag is always drawn to the right of the stem.

When two or more notes that normally have flags (eighth notes and shorter) occur in succession, the flags can be replaced by edges (bridges, ties). The number of bindings is equal to the number of flags for ungrouped notes. Notes are usually connected with edges only if they appear on the same beat in a measure.

Note durations

Any musical sound can be not only high or low, but also long or short. And this property of sound is called duration. The duration of a note is not compared to any generally accepted durations (for example, a second, etc.), its length is considered only within the framework of a specific composition, based on its tempo, which the author has chosen.
Consider the designation of note durations and pauses in music. The table shows audio examples of the score, in which metronome counts as quarters.

Metronome (Greek μέτρον - measure, νόμος - law) - a device that marks short periods of time with uniform beats

If there is no metronome, then the score is kept by foot. When the sock moves down (touching the floor), the numbers (1,2,3,4) are counted; when the sock is raised, it is considered "I".

In the audio example, the metronome indicates only strong beats (numbers -1,2,3,4).

A share is an elementary unit of a musical meter (an analogue of the generally accepted second, but its value may vary depending on the tempo of the musical composition). This unit is most often taken as 1 quarter note.

There are not so many main durations. It:

Whole - considered the longest duration, it is an ordinary circle or, if you like, an oval, an ellipse, empty inside - not filled in.
half is a duration that is exactly two times shorter than an integer. A half duration looks almost the same as a whole duration, only the head is not as fat, and it also has a calmness.
quarter is a duration that is half the length of a half note. And if you compare it with a whole note, then it will be four times shorter (after all, a quarter is 1/4 of the whole). A quarter note is necessarily painted over and it also has a calm, like a half note.
eighth– an eighth note is twice as short as a quarter note, four times as short as a half note, and eight pieces of eighth notes are needed to fill the time of one whole note (because an eighth note is 1/8 of a whole note. It differs from a quarter note Eighths often like to gather in groups of two or four, then all the tails are connected and form one common "roof" (edge).
sixteenth- twice as short as an eighth, four times as short as a quarter, and to fill a whole note, 16 such notes are needed. In its writing, in appearance, this duration is very similar to the eighth, only there are two flags. The sixteenths like to gather in companies of four (sometimes two, of course), and they are connected by as many as two ribs.

When the "eighth" or "sixteenth" are not in an even group (2 or 4 notes each), then the stand-alone eighth is written like this: and the sixteenth like this:.


Let's consider the account of various durations on the basis of a well-known melody.

So far, we have considered durations that are multiples of two. There is another option for the designation of "fractional" durations.

Consider the figure (triplets are circled in red squares - more precisely, these are eighth triplets):

All notes are in eighth notes. The metronome counts in quarters.

Eighth triplets are three even eighths in one quarter.

In this case, when counting, “I” is not considered, since it falls between the shares and is difficult to count.

Let's look at one more example. Let's take sixteenths as a basis. The duration of the triplet will correspond to two sixteenths or one eighth, which is the same.

pauses

What musical signs are needed to show silence in a piece of music?
The silence of your voice or instrument (during the performance of the work) is called a pause. The duration of pauses is determined in the same way as for sounds (notes): it can be equal to a whole note, half note, quarter note, etc. Let's look at the notation of pauses:

Here is an example of using pauses (there are no pauses in the original of this melody):

The same example, but without pauses:

The upper version sounds jerky because of the pauses, the lower one sounds smoother. Try to hear it.
By the way, pay attention to the fact that with the disappearance of pauses, the duration of the notes increased exactly by the length of the pause.

Time signature

Time signature (musical time signature) - the number of beats of a certain duration that form a measure.

Measures are designed specifically to help players keep track of where they are in the piece and play in the correct time signature. In simple time signature, it is in the bars that you can feel the true rhythm of the piece, even if you are just looking at the notation without playing the notes. In simple time signature, the strong beat is always the first beat of each bar. This means that when you see a line like the one shown below, the rhythm is counted as follows: ONE two three four ONE two three four ONE two three four.

The length of a beat and the number of beats can vary. (2,4,6,8,16)

There are more musical sizes than presented in the table. Their diversity was invented for conductors and composers, since a change in time signature changes not only the principle of counting, but also the nature of the music and the principle of playing the instrument. As part of the first stage of training, we are only interested in the score of music and the duration of notes, so we will only consider 2/4, 3/4 and 4/4. We will return to the rest of the dimensions in the second stage of training.

Consider examples of counting in these musical sizes:

The illustrations in the examples are difficult to count by ear. The main thing is that you understand how many and what durations can be used in one size or another. Pay attention to the pauses of what duration are used in measures. It is necessary to calculate and make sure that in each measure the sum of the durations of notes and pauses corresponds to the musical time signature.

Size 4/4 (four quarters) consists of four beats, each of which is equal in duration to a quarter note.

Now for an example that looks more complicated, note that in triplets, "and" does not count.

Size 3/4 (three quarters). consists of three beats, each of which is equal in duration to a quarter note.
Here you will not see whole notes, because. A whole note does not fit in one measure.

Size 2/4 (two quarters). consists of two beats, each of which is equal in duration to a half note. Here, too, there are no whole notes.

Check yourself.

1. What is the difference between a whole note and a quarter note in writing?
   

A whole note is written as an oval, and a quarter note with a filled head and a stem.

• What is the difference between a full pause and a half pause in writing?
  

A whole pause is written as a filled rectangle under the fourth line of the staff, and a half - on the third line.

• How is it different to record eighth notes individually and when they stand in several pieces?
  

Individually, eighth notes are written like quarter notes, but with a flag written to the right of the note. When there are several eighth notes next to each other, they are connected by one edge.

• How are the 8th and 16th pauses spelled?
• Clap eighths with counting out loud and counting with your foot.
• What do the numbers in the composition size mean?
  

The top number indicates the number of notes in a measure, the bottom number indicates the duration of these notes.

• Is it possible to use other durations in a measure, besides those that appear in the time signature?
  

• How many eighths are in one quarter? And how many eighths are triplets in one quarter? What is the difference between counting with a foot and aloud eighth and eighth triplets?
  

There are two eighth notes in a quarter. In counting, "and" is used when raising the leg.
When using an eighth triplet, three equal eighth notes are placed in a quarter. Do not use “and” in the account, since it would knock down an even score and it is inconvenient to count it.

• How many sixteenth notes can there be in one measure with a measure of 3/4
  

Every person studying music must undergo study and solfeggio. And one of the fundamental themes is the size in music. Next, their main varieties, methods of definition and some of the most common combinations will be considered.

The concept of musical meter

Before giving a definition of what constitutes a musical size, you need to have an idea of ​​\u200b\u200ba concept called musical meter.

It is generally accepted that all music is based on the so-called pulsation - the alternation of beats of equal duration, which can be strong and weak. The downbeat is always in first place in the measure. But one should not confuse strong beats with an accent, since such a selection can also fall on weak beats.

In modern music, one can often find meters consisting of two or three beats. In a simple expression, a two-beat meter consists of one strong and one weak beat (one-two), and a triple meter consists of one strong and two weak beats (one-two-three). Thus, a musical meter can be represented as a process of counting such alternations, or even as a kind of time grid with a sequence of beats indicated in it.

Types of shares and their varieties

Understanding what constitutes a musical time signature is impossible without knowing the types of beats. As already mentioned, in the simplest case, they are divided into strong and weak.

However, some may object, they say, but what about the most common size 4/4? In music, it is believed that the first beat is strong, the second and fourth are weak, but the third is relatively strong. The size itself is complex, since it consists of two simple ones. But this will be discussed separately.

The beat in music

Now a few words about the understanding of tact. In simple terms, a measure in music is the gap between one beat and the other.

No matter how many beats are indicated in the musical time signature in total, only one strong beat can be present in a measure, and as many as you like regarding strong and weak beats. Counting in a bar always starts with a "one". Depending on the size, the shares can be counted as "one-two" ("one-two-three"), "one-and-two-and" ("one-and-two-and-three-and"), etc. d.

Time signature in music: main varieties

Finally, we turn to the concept of size. Measures in music are sometimes called the numerical expression of a meter, indicating the relative duration of the beats and their total number in one bar.

Why is the concept of relative duration used? Yes, only because the beats can be broken down into components, which the musical meter does not provide. For example, the 4/4 time signature in music, also denoted by the Latin letter "C", provides for a single measure, consisting of four quarter notes in total.

But every quarter note can also be represented as combinations of eighths, sixteenths, thirty-seconds, or even sixty-fourths! How exactly they will be combined with each other, the composer himself decides. The main thing is that their sum does not exceed the total duration of the sound, corresponding to four quarters. But these are the basics of musical literacy.

As for the main varieties, time signatures in music are divided into simple and complex. Complex sizes also include categories of mixed, asymmetrical and variable sizes.

Simple time signatures

Based on the understanding of the meter, it is possible to describe the sizes that are called simple in music. They are divided into two-part and three-part sizes. In the first case, the repetition of strong beats occurs through one weak one, and in the second - through two.

The most common two-part sizes are considered to be 2/8, 2/4 and 2/2 (the size 2/2 in music, as well as 2/8, is extremely rare and is considered exclusively within the framework of theoretical information). Of the tripartite sizes, these are 3/4, 3/8 and 3/2. Again, 3/2 or 3/8 is hardly ever used, and three-quarters is the most common (for example, it is used for almost all waltzes).

Complex musical time signatures

Complex dimensions in the simplest case should be understood as the union of two or more simple ones. At the same time, it is the first part of the first size that is strong, and it seems that the strong part from the second automatically goes into the category of relatively strong ones.

In complex sizes, the easiest to understand are sizes like 4/4, 4/2, 6/4, 6/2, 6/8, 12/8, 8/4, 8/8. As you can see, these sizes are comparable to each other, for example, 8/8 is the same as 4/4.

Mixed and asymmetrical time signatures

Another thing is mixed sizes. In music, five-, seven-, nine- and eleven-beat combinations are most often found. And the sequence of shares, respectively, may look completely different. Let's take 5/4 as an example.

When creating this size, simple components are used: 2/4 and 3/4. But the combination can look like both "2 + 3" and "3 + 2". Thus, there is a shift relative to the strong beat.

Perhaps the most striking and famous composition written in this size with the combination "3 + 2" can be called "Mary Magdalene's Aria" from Andrew Lloyd Webber's rock opera "Jesus Christ Superstar".

As for other dimensions, there may be more combinations in them. So, for example, the time signature 7/8 can consist of the sequences "2+2+3", "2+3+2" or "3+2+2". In nine- and eleven-beat dimensions, there are more such variations, respectively. But when creating music using such meters, it is worth remembering that an ordinary listener will hardly perceive such a melody by ear, and not everyone can play it.

Although, if you look at the bands that play thrash metal, they do it just fine and quite often combine "ripped" riffs with the usual simple or complex time signatures.

For example, the same Xentrix group very successfully alternates the time signatures of 3/4 with triplets of eighth notes on each beat and 7/8, sometimes adding 9/8. Naturally, it will not be so easy for an unprepared listener to determine the size by ear the first time, but it sounds very, very interesting. In general, a classic of the genre.

Variable time signatures

This type of meter is extremely rare in music, and mainly in folk musical folklore. Bulgarian folk songs are a prime example.

The very concept of this term implies only that during one composition the main size can change several times, for example, using several ordinary complex and several asymmetrical sizes.

Sizing Method

When determining the size, the listener relies solely on his hearing, and this is the only way to distinguish exactly where the strong beat sounds, from which you need to build on.

However, in almost all music schools, students use a special conducting technique in solfeggio lessons. For example, the size 4/4 is represented as a wave of the hand, first down, then to the left, then to the right and up again (usually at an angle of 45 degrees).

Three quarters - swing down, right and up. Six-eighths - swing down, left, right, up again, and at the top two wave signals to the right (or in another combination). However, at first, when determining the dimensions by ear and writing dictations, teachers, in order to develop a sense of rhythm in students, deliberately highlight the strong part of each measure. It is this technique that makes it possible to achieve that in the future a person will be able to determine any type of dimension (even taking into account their alternation) independently and without any accents or prompts.

Conclusion

To draw a line, it can be noted that time signatures are very closely related to the understanding of musical meter, beats and measures. Therefore, in order to learn to clearly determine which dimension sounds in any piece of music, one cannot do without the basics of musical literacy and solfeggio.

True, many students, at least at first, do not like solfeggio, to put it mildly, considering it unnecessary and difficult to understand. However, it is he who is the very basis that provides fertile ground for the formation of a person as a musician of the highest professional level. After all, even a world-famous guitarist who played in such well-known bands as Deep Purple and Rainbow claimed that the speed of moving fingers along the fretboard is not yet a technique. Without knowledge of the basics and classical canons of music, it is simply impossible to become a professional of the highest level.

So novice musicians can be advised to stock up on patience and perseverance and study these subjects thoroughly. In musical education, so to speak, it is like "Our Father".