Grade 2: Time signatures lesson 4

Grade 2: Time signatures lesson 4

Compound time signatures: iii

Revision: How to describe meter

• In your exam, you will be asked to describe time signatures as a written answer

• We have learned that 2/4, 3/8, 3/4, and 4/4 MUST be referred to as SIMPLE meter

• 2 = duple, 3 = triple, 4 = quadruple

• Therefore 2/4 = simple duple, 2 crotchet beats per bar

• 3/8 and 3/4 = simple triple, 3 quaver/crotchet beats per bar

• 4/4 = simple quadruple, 4 crotchet beats per bar

Revision: Time signatures that have a 6, 9, or 12 on the top are called compound time signatures.

A compound note:

i) has a dot after it,

ii) is divisible by 3, and

iii) has its quavers beamed in 3s.

Revision: 6/8 time

• In 6/8, there are 6 quaver pulses in each bar

• The quavers are beamed in 3s, making 2 groups

• When the values of each group are tied together, they make a dotted crotchet

• There are 2 dotted crotchet beats in 6/8 time

• 6/8 time is called compound duple

Revision: 6/8 beaming

• In compound time, notes that have flags on them (quavers, semiquavers) are beamed to show where the beats are.

• Quavers are grouped in 3s in 6/8, 9/8 and 12/8

• Semiquavers are grouped in 6s

• Mixes of quavers, dotted quavers and semiquavers need to be grouped in dotted crotchet beats

Pyramid Tree in 6/8

Note and rest placement in 6/8

• A whole bar rest may be either a dotted minim or semibreve

• You may place a crotchet rest on the first and fourth quaver pulses (beat 1 and 2) but NEVER on any other quaver

• When using rests, fill up what is missing in the beat first, then fill up the rest of the bar

• Always show the first and second dotted crotchet beats in your beaming and rests

• Never use a minim and never beam between quavers 3 and 4

Multiple Choice

How should semiquavers be beamed in 6/8

• in 4s

• in 6s

• in 8s

• in 3s

Multiple Select

In 6/8 should quavers be beamed

• in 2s

• in 4s if on the first or third beats

• in 3s

• in 6s

Multiple Select

Where can you place a crotchet rest in 6/8?

• On dotted crotchet beat 1

• On dotted crotchet beat 2

• On quaver 4

• On quaver 1

• On quaver 3

9/8 time

• In 9/8, there are 9 quaver pulses in each bar

• The quavers are beamed in 3s, making 3 groups or 3

• When the values of each group are tied together, they make a dotted crotchet

• There are 3 dotted crotchet beats in 9/8 time

• 9/8 time is called compound triple

9/8 beaming

• In compound time, notes that have flags on them (quavers, semiquavers) are beamed to show where the beats are.

• Quavers are grouped in 3s in 6/8, 9/8 and 12/8

• Semiquavers are grouped in 6s

• In 9/8 time, mixes of quavers, dotted quavers and semiquavers need to be grouped in 3 dotted crotchet beats

12/8 time

• In 12/8, there are 12 quaver pulses in each bar

• The quavers are beamed in 3s, making 4 groups of 3

• When the values of each group are tied together, they make a dotted crotchet

• There are 4 dotted crotchet beats in 12/8 time

• 12/8 time is called compound quadruple

• You can place a dotted minim on the first and third dotted crotchet beats, but nowhere else

12/8 beaming

• In compound time, notes that have flags on them (quavers, semiquavers) are beamed to show where the beats are.

• Quavers are grouped in 3s in 6/8, 9/8 and 12/8

• Semiquavers are grouped in 6s

• In 12/8 time, mixes of quavers, dotted quavers and semiquavers need to be grouped in 3 dotted crotchet beats

Duplets are two notes where normally there are three.

• In Gr2, we only see duplet quavers used where normally 3 quavers occur and they are beamed within the dotted crotchet beat in which they occur

• 2 duplet quavers beamed together take the value of a dotted crotchet

• a duplet is always indicated by an italicised 2 over the notes

Multiple Choice

In 12/8 time, two quaver duplets occur within a

• crotchet beat

• a quaver

• a minim

• a dotted crotchet beat

Multiple Choice

In 12/8 time, the longest note value is:

• A dotted semibreve

• A dotted minim

• 3 dotted crotchets tied together

• A dotted minim tied to a dotted crotchet

Multiple Choice

In 9/8 time you can put a dotted minim rest on beat one

• Yes

• No

Multiple Choice

In 9/8 time, you can put a dotted minim rest on the second dotted crotchet beat:

• Yes

• No

Multiple Choice

In 9/8 time you can put a crotchet rest:

• only any quaver pulse except number 9

• only at the start of each dotted crotchet beat

Multiple Choice

In 12/8, how should a rest starting on dotted crotchet beat 2, and lasting through dotted crotchet beat 3 (a total of 6 quaver rests) be written?

• As a dotted minim

• As two dotted crotchet rests

• As 3 crotchet rests

• As 6 quaver rests

Multiple Choice

In 9/8 time, you can put a dotted minim rest on the second dotted crotchet beat:

• Yes

• No

Multiple Select

A duplet is

• used in compound times

• used in simple times

• indicated by a 3

• indicated by a 2