Barlines and Measures

Almost all music has its rhythm organized in reference to a specific amount of pulses. As an example a waltz is a style of music that uses a three beat pattern, a Rock'n'Roll song often uses a four beat pattern, while a polka usually has a two beat pattern. In music notation vertical lines (called barlines) are used to separate the note values into rhythmic units called measures. Assuming that the pulse is at a steady rate, the length of time of each measure will be equal.

three beat measures separated by barlines

Meter

A Meter signature (or time signature) is a set of two numbers, one placed on top of the other, used to express:

1) top the number of pulses in the meter pattern and

2) bottom the type of note that will represent the pulse.

(As will be explained later, the above definition of the time signature is not absolutely accurate for a type of meter known as Compound Meter.)

Once the meter is established each beat can be subdivided into faster note values and these can be used with longer note values to create the specific rhythms of a musical composition. The subdivision of the beat is usually into two parts (known as simple meter) or into three parts (known as compound meter)

Simple Meter

Simple meter uses a two part subdivision of the pulse or beat. In the time signature of 4/4, the quarter note receives one count or pulse. The eighth note is the two part subdivision of the basic pulse (two eighth notes equal the same duration as one quarter note). There are countless examples of the simple meter in classical and pop music. Some familiar examples include Beethoven's 5th symphony, Mozart's 40th symphony, the Rock classics, Louie Louie and Roll over Beethoven. Any meter whose rhythmic style is such that the pulse is subdivided into two parts is known as simple meter.

The following meters use the eighth note as the beat and the sixteenth note as the 2-part subdivision.

The following meters use the quarter note as the beat and the eighth note as the 2-part subdivision.

The following meters use the half note as the beat and the quarter note as the 2-part subdivision.

In any meter the subdivision can be divided down further to create faster rhythms as needed.

Compound Meter

Compound meter uses a three part subdivision of the pulse or beat. The standard notation practice for compound meter uses a dotted note value (such as a dotted eighth note, dotted quarter note or dotted half note) to represent the pulse. This pulse can easily be subdivided into three parts because a dotted note value is equal to three of the next faster note values. For example, a dotted quarter note equals three eighth notes. The traditional time signatures for compound meter can present some confusion because the bottom number of the time signature often represents the subdivision not the pulse. For example, the time signature of 6/8 seems to indicate that there are six beats to a measure and the eighth note receives one count. However, frequently music in 6/8 time feels as if there are only two beats in a measure and the dotted quarter note receives one count. This is sometimes referred to as 6/8 counted "in two". Similarly the time signature of 9/8 often feels as if there are only three beats in the measure and the dotted quarter receives one count (9/8 counted "in three"). 12/8 often feels like it is "in four". Some compound time signatures are listed below.

The following meters use the dotted eighth note as the beat and the sixteenth note as the 3-part subdivision.

The following meters use the dotted quarter note as the beat and the eighth note as the 3-part subdivision.

The following meters use the dotted half note as the beat and the quarter note as the 3-part subdivision.

Many popular songs from the 1950's (such as Blueberry Hill by Fats Domino) have the compound meter rhythmic style.

It should be noted that the tempo of a composition will help determine what note value feels like the pulse. During slow compositions in 6/8, for example, the listener may feel all six eighth notes as the basic beats of the meter. However, in a faster composition the listener may feel the dotted quarter note as the pulse and perceive the eighth note as the subdivision of the basic beat.

Borrowed subdivisions

Triplets and other tuplets

Sometimes a composer will want to notate a rhythm that shifts from a simple meter "feel" to a compound meter "feel". This borrowed "compound" subdivision is a "triplet". A triplet symbol (a "3" written above the notes in question) is used to allow for a 3 part subdivision of the beat while remaining in simple meter.

One familiar melody by J. S. Bach entitled Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring is an example of a 9/8 time feel that is notated in the simple meter of 3/4. Listen to a recording of this piece and notice the three part subsivision of the beat. You will notice that most of the subdivisions are triplets and only rarely is the beat divided into two parts.

Sometimes a compound meter will have a two part subdivision to a beat or beats. This borrowed "simple" subdivision is a "duplet" and is notated with a "2" above the notes of the duplet.

Style and Rhythmic interpretation

It is common for music in the certain styles to be written in simple meter yet have a different interpretation during performance. As an example, a series of eight notes in 4/4 meter may feel like a 12/8 meter. A series of eighth notes in the notation are performed similar to a quarter note followed by an eighth note in 12/8 meter. Jazz and Blues tunes often are notated in simple meter yet performed with a different rhythmic style than the notation provides.

A bluesy phrase like the following (used as the "pay off" phrase of "Don't get Around Much Anymore" by Duke Ellington) is usually written in simple meter.

It is performed with more of a triplet feel, almost as if it were notated as shown below. In performance the player will not play either notation exactly but some compromise of the two. A jazz player's exact placement of the beat and subdivisions will uniquely identify that player's style, ranging from cool to square. The two notated versions when played with computer accuracy are both examples of a square style. Cool is that nebulous area in between the two.

The French Overture style of the baroque era is an example of the performance practice deliberately departing from the written notation. The dotted notes of this compositional style were performed as double dotted notes with the following note played twice as fast.

Following the Score

There are many different symbols in music that instruct that performer as to how to follow the score. Below are a list of the important symbols and terms that every musician should recognize. Following this list is an example of how many of the symbols and terms are used in a musical score.

Coda

Segno (sign)

Fine - latin for "the end"

D.C. (Da Capo) - repeat from the beginning

D.C. al Fine - repeat from the beginning then stop at the word "Fine"

D.C. al Coda - repeat from the beginning then jump to the coda section when you reach the coda symbol

D.S. (Dal Segno) - repeat from the sign

D.S. al Fine - repeat from the sign then stop at the word "Fine"

D.S. al Coda - repeat from the sign then jump to the coda when you reach the coda symbol

"Repeat from" signs

"Repeat" signs

"Multiple repeat" signs

"Repeat previous measure" signs This symbol is placed in a measure.

"Repeat previous measures" signs This symbol is placed in a measure and will have a number written above the repeat sign indicating how many measures are to be repeated.

Since music often contains repetition, it is useful to have instructions that tell the reader to jump to a section and repeat that section (instead of having to write that section out again). All these symbols, words or phrases provide an instruction to jump to a new place in the score. The following list summarizes the common instructions and their meaning.

Places you jump from:

1) D.C., D.C. al Fine or D.C. al Coda (jump back to beginning)

2) D.S., D.S. al Coda or D.S. al Coda (jump back to Segno sign)

3) Repeat signs (jump back to "repeat from" sign or beginning)

4) Multiple Repeat signs (jump back to "repeat from" sign or beginning)

In this example you would jump back the first and second time you reach this measure labelled "1, 2" and the third time you would skip the "1, 2" ending and take the "3" ending and continue forward in the music score.

5) Coda signs (jump forward to Coda sign after a D.C. al Coda or D.S. al Coda)

Places you jump back to:

1) Beginning (from a D.C., D.C. al Fine, D.C. al Coda, or a Repeat sign)

2) the Segno sign (from a D.S., D.S. al Fine, or D.S. al Coda)

3) "Repeat from" sign (from a Repeat or Multiple Repeat sign)

Places to jump forward to:

1) Coda section (from a Coda sign)

The term coda can refer to two different things: 1) as the location from which you jump and 2) the coda section, this place in the score to which you are jumping. Both sections are labelled with the coda sign shown above.

Class Assignments:

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