{"id":77,"date":"2016-10-06T21:09:46","date_gmt":"2016-10-06T21:09:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/vccs-tcc-music-rford\/?post_type=chapter&p=77"},"modified":"2021-02-26T15:47:11","modified_gmt":"2021-02-26T15:47:11","slug":"santa-ana-material","status":"web-only","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/vccs-tcc-music-rford\/chapter\/santa-ana-material\/","title":{"raw":"Beat and Meter","rendered":"Beat and Meter"},"content":{"raw":"\u00a0<\/strong><\/span>Beat,<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>and rhythm<\/strong>\u00a0are \u00a0integral components \u00a0of\u00a0time in music.<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0Understanding them enables one to\u00a0 determine the function of\u00a0 time\u00a0 in music. \u00a0<\/strong>In this discussion, we\u00a0will\u00a0<\/strong>examine beat and its relationship to\u00a0 rhythm,\u00a0 plus meter in this\u00a0 topic. We will\u00a0 discuss\u00a0 rhythm\u00a0 in moire detail\u00a0 in the following topic :\r\n\r\nBeat:\r\n<\/strong>A beat is \u00a0a pulse \u00a0(think\u00a0\u00a0of heart beat) that we feel as we listen to music. It\u00a0 is a\u00a0unit of measure, like inches on a ruler. \u00a0We want to \u00a0feel the beat in music we hear noting that some beats are easier to feel \u00a0\u00a0(stronger) and others more difficult to feel (weaker ).<\/em>\u00a0 Some music may have no sense of a beat. It\u00a0 would be considered to be\u00a0 \"non metric\"<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong> \u00a0The composer's intent dictates \u00a0how strong or weak \u00a0the beat will be in a composition.\r\n\r\nYou \u00a0feel beats if\u00a0 you march in a parade - You feel beats also when dancing. \u00a0When you move your feet, \u00a0tap your foot, clap your hands, dance, march \u00a0etc. you are feeling the pulses or beats of the music. \u00a0Note that the beats are even. They have the same \u00a0distance in time \u00a0and space from each other.<\/span>\u00a0 \u00a0Important: Beats do not constitute rhythm. However, they are integral to determining rhythm. \u00a0Play Mozart's \"Eine Kleine Nachmusik, First Movement\" below. Feeling the beat in this work should be easy because the beat is quite strong. \u00a0Play it until you can feel the beat easily. Remember that\u00a0the beat\u00a0represents\u00a0a unit of measure -<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0steady and even - like seconds on a clock or inches on a<\/span>ruler.<\/span>\r\n\r\nSpecial note:\r\nMost of us\u00a0 can feel the\u00a0 beat\u00a0 with popular music or jazz.\u00a0 Determining\u00a0 beat In classical music\u00a0 may require more attention to determine. Do not assume there is no beat or beat is not dis=cernible. Some music from the Middle Ages and very Contemporary music may not have a discernible beat. But most music does have a beat. Work to feel it.<\/span>\r\n<\/strong><\/span>\r\n\r\nhttps:\/\/youtu.be\/Qb_jQBgzU-I\r\n

\u00a0Meter -\u00a0 The next step -\u00a0 \u00a0Grouping the beats \u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\r\nIf we can feel the beat out next step is to attempt to group the beats into a pattern. Most music \u00a0enables us to do this. If the music is not complex and straight forward, we can do this even though we \u00a0may have \u00a0little background in music. \u00a0Meter is defined as\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0 the arrangement of notes in a pattern of strong and weak beats.<\/strong>\u00a0One may \u00a0determine meter by counting the number of beats from one strong beat to the next.<\/span>\u00a0 If beats are non existent or extremely weak,\u00a0 meter may\u00a0 not be present or simply non existent. First step in determining meter is to feel the beat. If you can not feel the beat you can not determine meter.\r\n
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\r\n\r\n\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>Determining duple and triple meter\r\nFor this course we\u00a0will consider\u00a0 meter\u00a0in terms of duple and triple meter (groups of twos or threes). Quadruple meter\u00a0 (groups of four beats) will be described as duple meter (groups of two). Likewise, compound meters will be reduced to \u00a0duple (four or eight beats) or triple meter six or nine beats - groups of three). \u00a0There are many other possible groupings \u00a0such as 5 beats per measure , and seven beats per measure \u00a0but in this course we will strive to <\/span>patterns in music<\/span>\u00a0which are in twos\u00a0or <\/span>\u00a0duple\u00a0 meter<\/strong> \u00a0or in threes\u00a0 or <\/span>triple meter<\/strong>. \u00a0To \u00a0recognize a meter, go first to the beat of the music - \u00a0 remembering \u00a0that the beats are \u00a0equal and even. \u00a0Listen for an \u00a0even pulse underlying the rhythm \u00a0of the music. \u00a0(Do not confuse beats with rhythm in a work)\r\n\r\nMeasures or bars: \u00a0 <\/strong>The organization of patterns of beats \u00a0are \u00a0illustrated in measures or bars. The boundaries of the bar are indicated by vertical bar lines. Within each measure,\u00a0beats are\u00a0represented by a particular note values. See types of \u00a0bar lines below on the staff. They provide boundaries and structure in patterns of beats.<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span>\r\n\r\nTypes of Bar Lines<\/span>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/section><\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
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Time Signatures<\/strong><\/div>\r\n
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\r\n\r\nIn a musical score, the time signature appears at the beginning of the piece, as a time symbol or stacked numerals. Below are some common time signatures and how they are placed on the staff.\r\n\r\nCommon Time Signatures<\/strong>\r\n
\"Common<\/div>\r\nThe first example is 4\/4 time. \u00a0In this time signature there are 4\u00a0beats \u00a0in each measure (shown by the top number), and \u00a0the\u00a0quarter note represents one beat \u00a0(bottom number).\r\n\r\nThe time signature 3\/4 tells a musician \u00a0there are three beats in each measure (the top number) and that a quarter note represents one beat \u00a0(bottom number).\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
\u00a0Determine Duple meter:\u00a0 <\/strong>If the meter of the music feels like \u201cstrong-weak-strong-weak\u201d, it is in duple meter.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Such a pattern\u00a0would\u00a0 be one strong pulse followed by one weak pulse in a 1<\/strong>-2-1<\/strong>-\u00a02 sequence<\/span>\u00a0 - the pulse on 1 being the stronger pulse and the pulse on 2 being the weaker pulse.\u00a0Duple meter could also be multiples of two - such as\u00a0 1<\/strong>-2-3-4.\u00a0 The pulses in duple meter\u00a0can be\u00a0in any subdivision\u00a0of 2.<\/div>\r\nDetermine Triple meter:<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0If the meter feels like\u00a0 \u201cstrong-weak-weak-strong-weak-weak\u201d,\u00a0 it is triple meter. Such a pattern would be\u00a0\u00a0one strong pulse followed by two\u00a0weak\u00a0 pulses in a 1<\/strong>-2-3-1<\/strong>-2-3- sequence<\/span>.\r\n\r\nConducting meters:\r\n<\/strong>The conductor:<\/strong> The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats (meter) which is our concern here,<\/strong> and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble. Communication is non-verbal during a performance, however in rehearsal frequent interruptions allow the conductor to give verbal directions as to how the music should be played or sung.\r\n\r\nWatch the following\u00a0short video about conducting with simple meters. Remember that, in simple meters, each beat can be divided into two equal parts.\r\n\r\nConductors use different conducting patterns for the different meters. These patterns emphasize the differences between the stronger and weaker beats to help the performers keep track of where they are in the music.\r\n\r\nNote\u00a0that conducting patterns depend only on the pattern of strong and weak beats\u00a0 - \u00a0\u201chow many beats there are in a measure\u201d -\u00a0 not \u201cwhat type of note gets a beat\u201d. One can talk about meter without worrying about the time signature or even being able to read music. (Children can be introduced to the concept of meter long before they are reading music.)\r\n
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\r\n\r\nWatch the following\u00a0short video about conducting with simple meters. Remember that, in simple meters, each beat can be divided into two equal parts.\r\n\r\nhttps:\/\/youtu.be\/79Pk-33R2HM\r\n

Conducting the Meters \u00a0The illustrations below are \u00a0summaries of the illustrations presented in the video above video.<\/h3>\r\n

Duple Meter<\/h4>\r\nExamples of duple meter are\u00a02\/4, 2\/2, or fast 6\/8 time. For duple meter below, it is a simple down-up pattern, with the most weight on the first beat, as it goes straight down, with the second beat rebounding back up to the top.\r\n
\"J-shaped<\/div>\r\nTriple Meter\u00a0<\/strong>Examples of triple meter are 3\/4 or 3\/2. \u00a0The first beat, again, comes straight down, beat two rebounds, over to the right, and three rebounds from two (on the lower plane) and back to the top.\r\n
\"Triangular<\/a><\/div>\r\nQuadruple Meter: \u00a0<\/strong>Examples of quadruple meter are 4\/4, 4\/2, or 4\/8. \u00a0A conductor would sweep out\u00a0an upside-down T shape to conduct\u00a0quadruple meter. For our purposes in this course we are calling \u00a0these four beat meters - \u00a0duple meter.<\/strong>\r\n
\"upside-down<\/div>\r\n \r\n
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LISTEN: DO-IT-YOURSELF CONDUCTING<\/h3>\r\n(The links in this file are very helpful and fun in practicing meters)\r\n\r\nListen to and conduct the samples in this link<\/a>.\r\n\r\nPractice determining \u00a0meter:<\/strong> Can you determine the meter of these songs above? \u00a0First \u00a0conduct \u00a0the simple duple examples and simple triple examples. \u00a0The \u00a0check the \u00a0\"Free - no bar lines\" \u00a0selections \u00a0to experience no meter (no regular beat) Once you get the idea here check the \u00a0Asymmetric (Irregular)<\/b> (5\/8, 7\/8, 5\/4...m \u00a0examples. You will not be asked to identify these in this introductory course but you may enjoy hearing them! \u00a0Now try other songs you know \u00a0such as \"Twinkle,\u00a0Twinkle,\u00a0Little Star.\" or Silent Night. \u00a0Determine which beat has more weight to the determine the stronger beat and \u00a0determine \u00a0whether the\u00a0meter is \u00a0groups of two or groups of three.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n
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\u00a0Always go back to feeling the beat before you begin to determine the meter. \u00a0<\/strong>The meters introduced in this course are simple meters. More complex maters (compound meters) would have \u00a0subdivisions of beats. \u00a0 \u00a0One example is 6\/8 meter \u00a0(six beats per\u00a0measure). \u00a0The beats for 6\/8 \u00a0can be divided into either (1) two groups of three or \u00a0(2) three groups of two.<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n

Now it is your turn!! Listen and determine the meter in the following files!<\/h3>\r\nExample 1:\u00a0<\/strong>Listen to the first movement of Haydn\u2019s \u201cFarewell\u201d Symphony. The beats \u00a0can be grouped into a pattern The tempo is fairly fast so be aware of this as you look to feel the meter in this \u00a0faster \u00a0tempo.\u00a0 Listen to the first minute or two.\u00a0 What is the\u00a0 meter - duple or triple?<\/strong>\r\n\r\nhttps:\/\/youtu.be\/KXctarOxRz8\r\n\r\n\r\nExample 2\u00a0<\/strong>- This is \u00a0Mozart's \"Eine Kleine Nachmusik, First Movement\". First, look to \u00a0feel \u00a0the beat. Assuming you can do this \u00a0determine the\u00a0\u201cgrouping\" of the beats. You should be able to tell the meter.\r\n\r\nMozart, \"Eine kleine Nachtmusik\" I. Allegro performed by Les Dissonances - David Grimal May 2007.\r\n\r\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Qb_jQBgzU-I\r\n\r\n\r\nHaving trouble? \u00a0Try these steps: <\/strong>As \u00a0you play the selection, think of \u00a0marching! \u00a0Move each foot (sitting in place): \u00a0left<\/strong> - right, left<\/strong> - right, left<\/strong> - right \u00a0Does this marching \"fit\" the beat pattern for this work?<\/strong> If so, the meter is duple<\/strong>. \u00a0Notice an emphasis on the first beat of each group: 1,<\/strong> 2;\u00a01,<\/strong> 2;\u00a01,<\/strong> 2;\u00a01,\u00a0<\/strong>2.\r\n\r\nExample 3 (triple meter)<\/strong> - Now, play Verdi's \"Rigoletto (La\u00a0Donna e Mobile)\r\n\r\nhttps:\/\/youtu.be\/xCFEk6Y8TmM\r\n\r\nSee if a pattern of 1,<\/strong> 2, 3;\u00a01,<\/strong> 2, 3;\u00a01,<\/strong> 2, 3;\u00a01,<\/strong> 2, 3 feels right. If so, you have a piece in triple meter. This grouping of beats refers to meter. We want to first feel the beat;\u00a0then, group the beats:\r\n