1. Duple, Triple, Quadruple Simple and Compound
Meter
Duple, Triple, Quadruple
Simple and Compound
For online lectures and resources regarding simple and compound meters visit the following links:
Images and review materials from
musictheory.net and music-theory.ascensionsounds.com

2. What is Meter?
A groups of strong (>) and weak (u) beats that are consistent throughout a passage

3. Duple, Triple, or Quadruple?
Refers to the number of beats in each measure

4. Duple Meter
Duple is the alteration of strong and weak beats where there are 2 beats per measure.

5. Triple Meter
Triple has 3 beats per measure, the first is usually the strong beat.

6. Quadruple Meter
Quadruple has 4 beats per measure, the 1st and 3rd beats are stressed, but the 1st is usually stronger than the 3rd .

7. Simple or Compound? Simple or Compound? Answer: Simple Duple Beat
Beat Subclass
Duple, triple, and quadruple meters can be organized in different ways based on the divisions of the beat. We will call these divisions the beat subclass.
So is this meter simple or compound? Simple! quarter notes, unless specifically indicated by triplets, always divide into eighth notes. And seriously, who wants to hand write bunch of triplets? There is a better way to write 2 groups of 3 (Compound Duple).
Simple or Compound?
Answer: Simple Duple

8. Beat Beat Subclass Simple Meter Compound
The rhythm subclass divides the main rhythm class by 2
The rhythm subclass divides the main rhythm class by 3
These are all simple meters. Simple Duple (2/2, 2/4, 2/8) Simple Triple (3/2, 3/4, 3/8) and Simple Quadruple (4/2, 4/4, 4/8)
Beat
Beat Subclass

9. The rhythm subclass divides the main rhythm class by 2
Simple Meter
Compound
The rhythm subclass divides the main rhythm class by 2
The rhythm subclass divides the main rhythm class by 3
These are all compound meters. Compound Duple (6/2, 6/4, 6/8, 6/16), Compound Triple (9/2, 9/4, 9/8, 9/16), and Compound Quadruple (12/2, 12/4, 12/8, 12/16).
Why do we not see anything with 3 as the numerator?

10. Hypermeter
In order for something in 3/2, 3/4, 3/8, or 3/16 to be felt as a compound meter, we must zoom out and look at more than one measure at a time.
In this example, we can easily sing and clap the “strong, weak, weak” beats of simple triple meter. Let’s try it.
However, when we think about 2 measures at one time, we find that there is another pattern of strong and weak beats at the measure level. This pattern of strong and weak beats at the measure level is call the hypermeter.
So we could say that “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” is a song that is in Simple Triple Meter with a Compound Duple Hypermeter.
Or we could just rewrite in 6/8….

11. Review Meter Duple, Triple, and Quadruple Simple v. Compound
Hypermeter
Homework:
Read Chapter 2 p.30-35
Do Self Test 2-3 A (1-5) and B (2-3)
Do Self Test 2-4 A (1-5) and B (3)
You will need staff paper to do the exercises for B