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I am confused on how to rewrite a piece in compound meter. Here are a few examples I have which I need to change to compound meter.

I think I need to just compound 2 measures together?

compound meter exercise

Aaron
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Dylan Cataldo
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3 Answers3

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Yes, the exercise is asking for the measures to be "compounded together". So in exercise (a), you would remove every other bar line, beginning with the first, to create four measures of 6/8 time.

Just know, the exercise also misleadingly allows one to infer that two measures of 3-time is equivalent to one measure of 6 time. This is mathematically true, but not "musically" true. There is a subtle difference in how a performer would make the music sound.

In 3/16, each beat 1 would be presumed to be of equal emphasis. In 6/16, each beat 1 would be presumed to receive equal emphasis, but each beat 4 (previously a beat 1 in 3/16) would receive a lesser emphasis.

Aaron
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  • Where's that implication? – Tim Nov 14 '20 at 16:36
  • @Tim Changed to "allows the reader to infer". This is a beginning level exercise, and few beginners will understand on their own the difference between 3/8 and 6/8. Personally, I think this exercise is a poor way to introduce compound meter specifically for that reason. 6/8 is more than 3/8 with bar lines removed. – Aaron Nov 14 '20 at 16:50
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    I don't think ex.b works in anything but 9/8. What do you think? I agree it's pretty poor exercise concerning compound times. – Tim Nov 14 '20 at 16:56
  • Ah, I see. Very good point. For a sensitive enough student, all three melodies clearly demand a specific compound meter. The exercise is more subtle than I gave it credit. – Aaron Nov 14 '20 at 17:05
  • Though @Dom's answer in the linked thread 'Why is meter divided into simple and compound types?' does explain the difference well, I'm afraid this answer shows that you haven't understood it! A Compound Meter ISN'T two Simple Meter measures joined together. – Laurence Nov 14 '20 at 17:23
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    @LaurencePayne It is within the context of the exercise in the OP. – Aaron Nov 14 '20 at 17:29
  • @Aaron so your answer contradicts itself! Anyway, when you say 'compound meter means the combination of two or more simple meters' that's just plain WRONG! – Laurence Nov 14 '20 at 17:36
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    @LaurencePayne Fair. I've rewritten to clarify. (P.S. Your caps lock key is stuck. Your point would be just as clear in lowercase.) – Aaron Nov 14 '20 at 17:45
  • But not as ANNOYING! And I'm afraid you're STILL wrong. 3/16, 3/8 or 3/anything_else can be one-in-a-bar (compound single) or three-in-a-bar (simple triple). – Laurence Nov 14 '20 at 18:20
  • @LaurencePayne Well, I have to give you that. – Aaron Nov 14 '20 at 18:22
  • @LaurencePayne You're mistaken on this one. See here, here, here, here, and here. – Aaron Nov 14 '20 at 18:50
  • "In 3/16, each beat 1 would be presumed to be of equal emphasis": this is one of the things that distinguishes amateurs from professionals. Nothing should ever have equal emphasis. Also, in converting to 6 or 9, one must still decide which of the measures becomes 1. – phoog Nov 15 '20 at 23:06
  • @phoog Is that a criticism or a compliment? If the latter, how would you put it? I'm trying to get across that first beats get the primary emphasis versus the "secondary" strong beats within a compound meter. Maybe "presumed to be of strongest emphasis within their respective measures"? – Aaron Nov 16 '20 at 00:12
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Simple is what it says. Compound is simples joined together - at least as far as this exercise goes. In 2s, 3s or 4s.

The 1st exercise works well when two bars are joined together - the tune doesn't lose its phrasing. But do that with the second, and it just doesn't sound good. Yes, physically, it can be done, but with emphasis every three bars (the emphasised note denoting it's the beginning of a new bar), it works out fine.

Tim
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    Sorry, @Tim, that ISN'T what 'Compound Meter' means in music. – Laurence Nov 14 '20 at 17:24
  • @LaurencePayne - in actual fact, judging by the question, you're right - that's exactly what the writer of the question (in the example featured) is thinking! – Tim Nov 14 '20 at 18:01
  • I don't think you and I are giving enough credit to the textbook question writer. As you pointed out to me, melody b (and c as well) work better in compound meters. I beginner likely wouldn't pick that up, but a beginner with a good teacher would have a shot. The question could be better presented, but I think its heart is in the right place, so to speak. – Aaron Nov 14 '20 at 18:21
  • So, for B and C how do I know what the time signature should be for switching it to compound. Then do I do what I did for the first one and get rid of every other bar line starting with the first one? – Dylan Cataldo Nov 14 '20 at 20:40
  • Pretty straightforward. You sing/play it and feel where the divisions can be. Try one, two, three, four bar divisions, and when one feels right, use that. – Tim Nov 14 '20 at 21:27
  • @LaurencePayne - edited the answer to hopefully clarify. – Tim Nov 15 '20 at 09:56
  • You really can't let such a blatant misuse of musical terminology get past that easily! – Laurence Nov 15 '20 at 22:42
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'Simple' and 'Compound' (as descriptions of meter) don't mean what the writer of the textbook apparently thinks they do!

In musical terms, a 'simple meter' is one where the beats subdivide into 2. Typically (but not exclusively) a quarter-note beat (quarter-notes split neatly into two eighth-notes). 2/4, 3/4, 4/4 are common 'simple' times.

'Compound meter' is where they subdivide into 3. Typically a dotted quarter beat (dotted quarter-note splits into three eighth-notes). 3/8, 6/8, 9/8, 12/8 are common 'compound' times.

(Actually, 3/8 and 3/4 are ambiguous. Counted 'three in a bar' they're Simple. Counted 'one in a bar' they're Compound. Think about it, before disagreeing!)

'Compound' DOESN'T mean 'formed from adding together pairs of shorter measures'. 2/4 is Simple Time. Join pairs of measures to make 4/4, it's still Simple. 12/8 is Compound Time. Split 8 bars of 12/8 to make 16 of 6/8, it's still Compound.

So the test question is not a very clear one. It's arguable that the examples are in Compound Meter already! However, we can assume they want you to concatenate every two or three bars to make a piece in 6/8 or 9/8, and even if you consider my theory that a one-in-the-bar 3/8 is Compound Single, we can agree THOSE are Compound meters! Maybe even every four bars to make 12/8. (I don't think we need to worry about 15/8 etc. here.) You're also being asked to judge whether, musically, each example does work well when grouped in this way.

Laurence
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