Suggested Learning Resources
http://www.musictheoryhelp.co.uk/exercises/rhythm/5-compound-time-signatures/
- For compound time signatures, the beat unit (note value worth one beat)
is always a dotted note
- Any dotted note rhythmic value can represent beat in compound music(called
the beat unit) depending on the time signature (Ex. a dotted whole note could be
worth 1 beat, a dotted half note could be worth 1 beat, a dotted quarter note could
be worth 1 beat, etc.)
- Compound time signatures have the number 6, 9 or 12 as the top number.
- For compound time signatures 6=duple (two beats per measure) 9=triple
(three beats per measure) 12=quadruple (4 beats per measure)
- The bottom number of a compound time signature specifies which note value
is worth one beat’s divisional unit
- Bottom number 4 indicates quarter notes are the beat division, thus dotted
half note is the beat unit. Bottom number 8 indicates eighth notes are the beat
division, thus dotted quarter note is the beat unit. Bottom number 16 indicates
16th note is the beat division, thus dotted 8th is the beat unit.
- The numbers 3,5,6,7,9,10,11,12,13,14,15 never appear as the bottom number
of a time signature, because they are not associated with our named rhythmic note
values
http://youtu.be/h-JTRwcDWIE
Objective 1.33: Identify the compound time signatures of 6/8 , 9/8, 12/8, 6/4, 9/4,
12/4, 6/16, 9/16, etc. and explain what the top and bottom numbers mean