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Music Theory Part III Review
Chapter 18: Simple, Duple, Triple, and Quadruple Meters
Duple Meter – musical pulse is grouped in twos.
 First pulse is somewhat accented.
Simple Meter – the beat unit is a note value which normally subdivides into two parts.
Triple Meter – musical pulse is grouped in threes.
 Simple triple meters have beat units subdivided into two parts.
 The first beat is the stressed beat.
Quadruple Meter – a combination of two duple groups in one measure.
 The first beat received the primary accent, and the third beat receives a secondary
accent.
 4/4 meter is also called common time (sign is “C”)
Alla breve – the half note becomes the beat unit.
 Equivalent of the 2/2 time signature.
Counting for rhythms
Chapter 19: Syncopation
Syncopation – the accent is shifted so the stress falls on a
weak beat instead of on the expected strong beat.
1. Begin a note on a weak beat and trying it to a
strong beat
2. Placing rests on the strong beats so the only notes heard are on weak beats
3. Placing dynamic accent on weak beats instead of strong beats
Remember fp (forze piano), sfz (sforzando), and sfp (sforzando piano)
Chapter 20: Triplets
Triplet – a group of three equal notes which takes the place of two even notes of the same
kind.
 Count with “la” and “li”
Chapter 21: Compound Meters
Compound Meter – beat unit has three normal subdivisions
 The beat unti in compound meter is always a dotted note.
 The effect of compound meter is that of having a triple on every beat.
 In the time signature, bottom number is the sub-beat note value; top number is the
number of beats (divisible by three).
Examples of compound meter are 6/8, 9/8, and 12/8
 6/4, 9/4, and 12/4 can also be compound, but need the appropriate beat unit (dotted
half note).
Counts in compound (1 ta la ta li ta) refer to p.192
Hemiola – shifting the accent in a measure with six eighth notes from two groups of three eight
notes (compound duple) to three groups of two eight notes (simple triple) or the reverse.
Chapter 15: Harmonic and Melodic Minor
Harmonic Minor Scale – contains one accidental, the raised seventh degree (use natural minor
and raise the seventh note); this is both ascending and descending.
Melodic Minor – raised both the sixth and seventh degrees one half step. The alterations are
used in the ascending scale only, and the descending scale is like natural minor.
Chapter 16: Augmented and Diminished Triads, The Whole Tone Scale
Two triads do not contain the interval of the perfect fifth: the diminished triad, which contains
a diminished fifth, and the augmented triad, which contains an augmented fifth.
 In diminished, both intervals are minor thirds
 In augmented, both are major thirds
Whole-tone scale – made up entirely of whole tones.
 Only two possible groups of pitches which can produce a whole-tone scale (C, C#/Db).