UNIT 2 :SIMPLE AND COMPOUND TIME SIGNATURES
Key unit competence:
Be able to sol-fa notes according to their pitches and notes
Introductory activities:
1. In group discuss:
(i) Time signature
(ii) Give different types of time signatures.
2. What do you understand by ‘beat unit’?
3. Give different musical notes you know and describe their relationships.
4. What are the beat units in the following two fractions 6/8 and 4/4?
2.1. Time signatures
Learning Activity 2.1
Consider the staves below:
1. Put treble clef
2. How many beats allocated between to bars?
3. considering a crotchet as a unit value, what time signature may you suggest
2.1.1 Quaver and semi-quaver
A quaver is a drawn like crotchet with a tale while a semi quaver is drawn like a
crochet with two tales. See the following examples. Two quavers equal one crotchet
and four semi quavers equal one crotchet.
When quavers are written together can be beamed as follows:
When semi-quavers are written together can also be beamed as follows:
Application activity 2.1
Draw claps of the notes below and then sing using ta or ti…..
In pairs, draw your own musical notes (mix quavers and semi quavers) and then
clap the rhythm before the peers.
The quavers in the staff below are missing their flags or beams. Draw the missing
flags and beams.
In music, a dotted note or rest has a small dot written after it. The dot lengthens the
value (duration) of the note or rest by adding a half of its original value.
Three-eight-time signature 3/8
To better count the beats in compound time signatures; let us introduce a new
simple time signature which is 3/8. This 3/8-time signature is a simple time
signature whose beats are governed by quavers. For example one beat equals one
quaver. Since there are three quavers in 3/8 measure, there are also three beats.
Consider the figure below:
In 3/8 one quaver equals one beat. So the following measure can beat beaten as
follows:
By respecting the time signature indicated above:
-- What could be the value of a dot in each measure?
-- What is the duration of dotted note?
In music, a dotted note or rest has a small dot written after it. The dot lengthens
the value (duration) of the note or rest by adding a half of its original value.
In compound time signature the top number is divided by 3 to determine how
many beats are in each measure.
Common Compound Time Signatures
The chart below shows some frequently used compound time signatures
Notice when the bottom number is 8 notes in compound meter are grouped in
three quavers (eighth notes) which are equal to a dotted crotchet (quarter note). 6/8
is classified as a duple because two dotted crotchets lead the beats. Duple means
two beats per measure.
Quadruple means four beats per measure.
The beat unity of the compound times (6/8; 9/8 and 12/8) is a dotted crotchet. In
6/8 we have two beats per measure governed by two dotted crotchets, in 9/8 we
have three beats per measure governed by three dotted crotchets in 12/8 we have
four beat per measure governed by four dotted crotchets.
Since 6/8 time signature is a double of 3/8, its beats will also be a double of the ones
we have in 3/8. Hence, beating time of the compound time signature can be made
easy by imitating the one we use for 3/8 time and then multiply by 2 for 6/8 time,
three for 9/8 time and then four for 12/8 time.
See the examples below.
Note that beat 1 and beat 4 are strong
Syncopation or syncopated rhythm is a variety of rhythms which are unexpected
making longer notes falling on the weak parts of the bar or when the off-beat is
emphasized.
Normally, in music, the down beat is emphasized or accented; it is a strong beat. But
when this first beat is replaced by a silence and the music starts on the second beat,
the off-beat, which is weak, we say that there is syncopation since this second beat
(which is normally weak) has been emphasized.
In any time, signature, there are strong beats and weak beats. In the example below
there is syncopation because the off-beats (weak beats) have been emphasized.
Normally in four-four time (4/4) the first and the third beats are strong while the
second and the fourth beats are weak.
When rests on the beats are followed by quavers (eight notes) on the second half of
each beat in a melody.
2.5. End unit assessment
1. Compare simple time signature and compound time signature.
2. What do you understand by:
a. Dotted notes and dotted rests?
b. Duple, triple and quadruple?
c. Syncopation?
3. Sol-fa the notes on the staves below and perform.
