The rhythmic organization of music into regularly recurring measures dictated by a time signature.
Questions tagged [meter]
129 questions
36
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6 answers
Polymeter vs Polyrhythm
What is the difference between a polymeter and a polyrhythm? Do these words mean anything different for different instruments?
PS: I'm a drummer.
Anish Ramaswamy
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Do musicians count the meter all the time?
When I started as a beginner on the piano I just timed the notes by feeling. That is, until my teacher played back a recording of me to show me just how messed up my timings were. Since then I've always been very diligent about figuring out the…
W4uoe9A
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Aldous Huxley and 5/4 Meter in Music Predating "Take 5"
Background:
"Take 5" by Paul Desmond (and famously recorded by the Dave Brubeck Quartet) is one of the more famous jazz standards out there, and one thing any analyst would point out immediately is the tune's 5/4 shuffle, which from what I remember…
user45266
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How can a non-musician recognize anacrusis?
I need help understanding anacrusis (pickup notes). I'm no musician - I'm more of an anthropologist. I was reading some articles on ethnomusicology, and one of them makes reference to anacrusis in some indigenous musical traditions. In some cases,…
Teusz
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What is the connection between time-signature, beat, and tempo?
What is the connection between time-signature, beat, and tempo? Mainly time-signature and tempo. Tempo is beats-per-minute I know, but does the time-signature affect it?
For example, in a 120bpm tempo, are note durations of 4/4 time-signature…
user488792
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17
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4 answers
How to notate time signature switching consistently every measure
It seems my musical journey's always pushing me into left field territory when it comes to notation ... So this time I'd like to know what would be a good way to notate a consistent switching of time signature every measure.
The piece I'm writing…
Creynders
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Why must the final bar complete the anacrusis?
The Wikipedia page for anacrusis states that
Western standards for musical notation often include the recommendation that when a piece of written music begins with an anacrusis, the composer, copyist, typesetter, or printer should delete a…
jon2512chua
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Intended shift of meter in certain songs?
In pop music, there are some songs that pretend to have the beat accent at a certain time in the intro but with percussion coming in, the beat (apparently) shifts the meter such that you have the feeling to stumble on some extra beat until your…
unndreay
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Is it hopeless in terms of becoming decent musicians, if they can't count beats?
My flesh-n-blood guitar teacher has tried to get me to count beats (verbally or at minimum in my mind), and I think that I've tried reasonably hard in doing so for few months now. However I've come to suspect that at 44years my mind isn't able to…
bdutta74
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Does Chinese music avoid counting in 4s?
Many East Asian cultures consider the number 4 to be unlucky, because their words for that number are highly homophonic to the word for death. Quite often you will see companies skipping the number 4 in their product numbers to avoid being unlucky…
Cort Ammon
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14
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Just how specific is the term "hemiola"?
In Name and structure of staggering beat in Ramones' “Merry Christmas,” the rhythm in the second measure of the following example is described as a hemiola:
But to me, these are just triplets and not an example of a hemiola. Hemiolas, in my…
Richard
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What exactly is a beat in sheet music/music?
A quick google search will reveal common answers, such as, beat is a steady "pulse" of music, beat is the foundation of rhythm, or beat is a basic unit. However, to me these are vague answers and I can't seem to understand precisely what the beat…
David Garcia
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12
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3 answers
What is the importance of tempo and time-signatures?
What is the importance of tempo and time-signatures? Aren't tempo and time-signatures all interchangeable? 4/8 at 60 BPM can be also described as 4/4 at 120 BPM. Can't a 60 BPM tempo be transcribed to 120 BPM just by changing the note…
user488792
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12
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5 answers
What is and what is not syncopation
I'll often hear tunes in which the first note is upbeat and the second is downbeat. When is it syncopation and when is it not? For one of many examples, take "Amazing Grace." The "A-" is a weak beat and "-mazing" the strong beat. Yet I hear…
Harry Brill
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How does the bottom number of the time signature affect counting?
I have learnt all the complicated mathematics subjects in my school, but that bottom number, I can't understand.
Ok, the notation will be different, and it will say what kind of note gets the beat, but why do I need to know that if it won't change…
NathanN707
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