Learning Objectives
- Define meter as a recurring pattern of strong and weak pulses.
- Distinguish between duple, triple, and quadruple metric patterns.
Meter I: Introduction
Meter
As you continue to listen for the pulse in music, you will begin to notice that some pulses seem stronger than others. You may also sense that there is a steady alternation between strong and weak pulses. This recurring pattern of strong and weak pulses in music is known as meter.
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Let's examine this with a simple series of quarter note pulses. The pulse can be represented by notes of any value (half notes, quarter notes, eighth notes, etc.), but most often the quarter note is used as the beat. So for now, we will focus primarily on music with quarter note pulses. In this first example, none of the notes receives more rhythmic stress than any of the others—that is, each note is emphasized about the same. Click on the blue notes on the left-hand side of the example below to hear this series of undifferentiated pulses.
Composer: Anonymous
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"Quem Quaeritis"
Even when the pulses that we hear are all equally emphasized, our minds typically seek to find order in the sounds by grouping them into patterns of twos or threes. Consider the ticking of a clock: our minds tend to perceive the "tick" as being stronger than the "tock", even though the two are actually exactly the same. In other words, our minds seek to create metric patterns of strong and weak pulses.
Pulses that convey greater rhythmic stress are traditionally called strong beats. These are the beats that you most strongly tap your foot to when listening to music. Unaccented pulses—those without rhythmic stress—are called weak beats. Meter is, in essence, the pattern of strong and weak beats that we perceive in music. But it also involves the psychological perception, organization, and anticipation of pulses in our minds as we seek to create logical patterns. Three of the most common metric patterns—duple, triple, and quadruple meter—are introduced below.
Duple Meter
In duple meter, every other beat is emphasized, in a recurring pattern of STRONG - weak. This can be represented by a line of quarter note pulses in which every other pulse is marked with an accent (>). This is the most basic meter type and is likely associated with activities such as walking or marches (LEFT - right ...). (Click on the blue notes to hear this duple meter pattern.)
Composer: Johann Strauss II
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"Viribus unitis, Op. 96: Viribus unitis, Marsch, Op. 96"
Triple Meter
In triple meter, the first of every three beats is emphasized, in a recurring pattern of STRONG - weak - weak. This can be represented by a line of quarter note pulses in which the first of every three pulses is accented. Triple meter is often associated with dances such as the waltz. (Click on the blue notes below to hear this triple meter pattern.)
Composer: Frédéric Chopin
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"Mazurka No. 24 in C major, Op. 33, No. 3"
Quadruple Meter
In quadruple meter, the first of every four beats is emphasized, in a recurring pattern of STRONG - weak - weak - weak. This can be represented by a line of quarter notes in which the first of every four pulses is accented. (Click on the blue notes below to hear this quadruple meter pattern.) Often, the third beat in the pattern is perceived as being stronger than beats two and four (but not quite as strong as beat one), resulting in a pattern of STRONG - weak - strong - weak. It can be difficult, therefore, for a listener to be able to make a clear distinction between quadruple meter and duple meter (STRONG - weak - STRONG - weak). Quadruple meter is probably the most commonly used meter of all, and is particularly prevalent in popular music.
Composer: Alfred Newman
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"Captain from Castile: Conquest, Triumphal March"
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