themusictheorycourse.comFree online lesson, with sound and self-correcting exercises
IV.7Part IV, Meter and Rhythm
Meters of Five Beats and More
Here you'll discover meters of five, seven and nine beats and how to write them, along with the asymmetrical meters of modern music.
8 min7 questionsDanhauser § 207 to 211
So far, every meter has had two, three or four beats. A five-beat meter can usually be thought of as a three-beat measure alternating with a two-beat measure, that is, three plus two.
Five beats grouped three plus two. The dotted bar line shows the subdivision, and the stresses fall on beats 1 and 4.
By combining meters in the same way, you also get a seven-beat meter, a four-beat measure alternating with a three-beat measure, and even a nine-beat meter, with four beats, then three, then two.
Seven beats grouped four plus three.
In these combinations, it is essential to subdivide the measure with dotted bar lines, so that the performer sees exactly where the strong beats fall.
How to write their time signatures
You can follow the rules for simple meters: the top number gives the number of beats, and the bottom number gives the fraction of a whole note that makes up one beat, as in 5/4, 7/4, 9/4, 5/2 or 7/8.
Or you can write a time signature for each subdivision: 3/4 and 2/4 alternating for a five-beat meter, 4/4 and 3/4 for seven beats, and so on.
The same five-beat music, written as alternating measures of 3/4 and 2/4.
Modern asymmetrical meters
What Danhauser presented as exceptional combinations became common in the twentieth century. We speak of asymmetrical meters, or irregular meters, when the beats are not all the same length: you add up groups of two and three eighth notes.
Here is 7/8 grouped two, two and three: three unequal beats, short, short and long.This “aksak” 9/8 is grouped two, two, two and three, which gives four unequal beats. Compare it with the classic 9/8 of Lesson 5, grouped three, three and three.
Exercisein the method's spirit
Write the time signature of: 1. a five-beat meter with a half note per beat; 2. a seven-beat meter with an eighth note per beat; 3. a nine-beat meter with a whole note per beat.
Solution
1. 5/2. 2. 7/8. 3. 9/1, and you make it clear that this is a simple meter of nine beats, with dotted bar lines grouping them four, three and two.
Up to now, we've talked about meter, the frame of the music. In the next lesson, we'll turn to what fills that frame: rhythm.
Check your understanding
7 questions
1.
According to Danhauser, a five-beat meter is usually thought of as:
2.
How does Danhauser break down a seven-beat meter?
3.
Why do we draw dotted bar lines in these meters?
4.
A five-beat meter with a half note per beat is written:
5.
Why must you specify that a nine-beat meter is simple?
6.
In a 7/8 grouped 2 + 2 + 3, how many beats do you feel?
7.
Which work has a famous movement in 5/4?
A lesson is completed automatically at 70% on the quiz. You can also mark it yourself.
A question, a mistake, a word about this lesson? Write to us.