98 Sight Singing Assignment

Meter Change: Procedure 1

The indication above the staff tells you that the note values don’t change when the meter does. Therefore, the speed of the pulse will alter at the meter change.

Meter Change: Procedure 2

When the indication above the staff equates two unequal note values – such as a quarter note and a dotted quarter note – it means that the value of the beat stays the same over the meter change. Therefore, it is the note values themselves that must alter. In the first example, take care to observe that m.2 and m.4 should sound identical. In the second example, mm. 1 and 4 are the same and mm. 2 and 3 are also the same. There is more than one way to notate the same thing!

Procedure 2 is very useful for the composer and performer to move seamlessly between simple and compound meters. In this example, be very careful that your divisions and subdivisions of the beats are perfectly precise.

Hemiola

Hemiola is defined as a change to note groupings that gives the impression of changing meter without actually changing meter. In the first example, mm. 3-4 give the impression of being in 3/2, but the written meter is still 3/4.

3/8 is an interesting time signature, because depending on context, we might choose to conduct it either in 3 (simple time) or in 1 (compound time). Perform the following rhythm twice, the first time conducting in a “small 3,” the second time conducting in a “big 1.”

Triplets in Contrasting Note Values

In rhythms containing triplets, two tripletized eighth notes add up to the value of one tripletized quarter note. This principle is very useful in the next example.

Irregular (Asymmetrical) Meters: 5 and 7

In a time signature with 5 as the numerator, conduct in a “big 2.” There are two ways to do this. Depending on the note groupings and beamings in the score, you might conduct with the beat division “3+2,” or with the beat division “2+3.”

In a time signature with 7 as the numerator, conduct in a “big 3.” Therefore: (a) “3+2+2”; (b) “2+2+3”; or (c) “2+3+2” (rarer).

Every time you perform in an irregular meter, examine the note groupings and beamings first before you decide which way you will conduct.