Section “slur” in Music Glossary - LilyPond

Chapter 1: Musical terms A-Z 49
1.189 meter
ES: tiempo, compás, I: tempo, misura, F: indication de mesure, mesure, D: Taktart, Metrum,
NL: maatsoort, DK: taktart, S: taktart, FI: aika-arvo.
The pattern of note values and accents in a composition or a section thereof. There are
a couple ways to classify ‘traditional’ meter (i.e. not polymeter): by grouping beats and by
subdividing the primary beat.
By grouping beats:
• duple: groups of two.
• triple: groups of three.
• quadruple: groups of four. A special case of duple meter.
• quintuple: groups of five beats.
• sextuple meter: groups of six. A special case of:
• duple meter, subdivided in three; or
• triple meter, subdivided in two.
• septuple meter: groups of seven.
• and so on.
Other than triple meter and its subdivided variants (see below), meters that feature odd
groupings of beats (e.g. quintuple or septuple meter) are not frequently used prior to the 20th
Century.
By subdividing the primary beat:
• simple: subdivided in groups of two.
• duple: 2/2, 2/4, 2/8
• triple: 3/2, 3/4, 3/8
• quadruple: 4/2, 4/4 (also called common time), 4/8
• compound: subdivided in groups of three.
• duple: 6/8
• triple: 9/8
• quadruple: 12/8
Time signatures are placed at the beginning of a composition (or section) to indicate the
meter. For instance, a piece written in simple triple meter with a beat on each quarter note
is conventionally written with a time signature of 3/4. Here are some combinations of the two
classifications above:
Simple duple meter (F.J. Haydn, 1732-1809; or a Croatian folk tune):
4 2
Simple triple meter:
4 3
Simple quadruple meter (French folk tune, Au clair de la lune):