Putting notes into bars Getting the maths right Remember: a time signature tells you how many beats there are in each bar. It also tells you what length the beats are (see page 14). Each bar must add up to the correct number of beats. So: ; must add up to 2 crotchets beat 1 2 1 2 laa) 1 2 3 must add up to 3 crotchets beat 12 3 1 2 3 1 2 4 123 ¢ must add up to 4 crotchets T T T beat 1234 123 4 1 2 3 4 eee Always check that each bar adds up correctly. Grouping quavers and semiquavers into beats Learn the grouping rule: Notes With tailg Should be joined together with beams to make separate beats. s : Pe Crotchet beat examples: 7Gj Putting notes into bars You have just learnt the grouping rule that notes with tails should be joined together to make separate beats BUT sometimes a whole bar of quaver notes all join together. - examples: In Zé time half a bar of quaver notes often join together i.e. beats 1 and 2, or beats 3 and 4 but not beats 2 and 3. examples: Examples of grouping Anacrusis (up-beat) Sometimes a bar does not begin on the first beat, but begins with an up-beat or anacrusis leading to the next bar. When this happens, its value is taken out of the last bar of the piece. For example: BarO Bar1 Bar 0 Bar 1 Anacrusis is worth 1 crotchet, so the last Anacrusis is worth 1 quaver, so the last bar is minus 1 crotchet. bar is minus 1 quaver. 7eee ng eee OO Triplets In simple time the beats normally divide into two or four. For example, a crotchet usually divides into two quavers or perhaps four semiquavers. However, sometimes in simple time a beat needs to be divided into three. When this happens the three notes are called a triplet. 3 A figure 3 is placed over or under the triplet to show that there are meant to be three notes in that beat. A curved line called a slur is often used too. Any size beat can have a triplet. 3 3 3 ——— 2—_»— foe a triplct of quavers a triplet of crotchets a triplet of semiquavers = 1 crotchet = 1 minim = 1 quaver (this one is'the most common) Playing a triplet To play a triplet simply fit the three notes into the time of the beat. The music below is part of a piano piece which contains a triplet. Can you spot it? Minuet by MozartSy A compound time signature: § Compound time has dotted note beats instead of ordinary beats. Look at the examples below: 3 A —— (triplet) Example A has a time signature of 2 crotchets and is in simple duple time. Example B has a time signature of 2 dotted crotchets and is in compound duple time. However, there is no time signature to represent dotted beats, so the 2 dotted crotchets are broken down into 6 quavers, and the time signature of 8 is used. 8 ; Remember in § time: @ there are 6 quavers in every bar ® there are only 2 beats in every bar @ the 2 beats are dotted beats @ there are 3 quavers to each beat ®@ triplet signs are not needed in this time. When to use § time § time is often used for jigs and other pieces needing a skipping rhythm The beginning of two famous pieces using § time are printed below. Pop goes the weasel ESS RY eo Halt a pound of — tup-pen-ny rice, half, apound of trea - cle. The Skye Boat Song Speed bon-ny boat like a bird on the wing, Q -ver the sea to Skye Sing these two songs to yourself and listen to the skipping rhythms in your head, 19Grouping notes in § time In § time quavers and semiquavers join together in their beats as they do in simple time. There are no exceptions to this rule. Look back at the two songs in 8 on the previous page. The dotted crotchet beats are clearly seen in the way the quavers and semiquavers group together. Now compare the two examples below. Example A is in 3 time, that is 3 crotchet beats per bar. Example B is in § time, that-is 2 dotted crotchet beats per bar. The beats in each bar both add up to the same number of quavers, but the different groupings match the time signature each example is using, and show whether they have 3 simple beats or 2 compound (dotted) beats per bar. Itis important to keep the half-way mark in the bar clear in g time. This will always happen if you join the notes together in their beats. Rests (see page 10) follow the same rules as notes. For example: halfway mark halfway mark “halfway mark halfway mark Y y i y 3rd quaver written separately ® The halfway mark is always kept clear to show the two beats clearly. @ Because each beat in § time is a dotted crotchet (crotchet plus quaver) the rest for the guaver is always written separately (see bar 3). The dot can be used with the crotchet rest when the whole beat is a rest (see last bar). As in simple times a whole bar’s rest is always a semibreve rest even in § time (see page 8). Other compound times are outside the scope of this book.(ty Putting notes into bars Remember the grouping rule: notes with tails should be joined together to jl » make up each separate beat. a Ineach box, write enough quavers to equal the value of the given note, and join them ail together. a le oe wd ol - e & In each box, write enough semiquavers to equal the value of the given note, and join them ail together. i). “] w)- od Join these notes together to make crotchet beats. Write your answers on the staves on the right. " Heinemann Educational: Theory MattersTheory } worksheet Join these notes together to make minim beats. (Some notes cannot be Cd Ss joined.) Write your answers on the staves on the right. Oy 4 SSR 2? aS Sse SE ’ a | Look carefully at the time signature in each of the following examples. € a Fill in the number of beats in the bar, and what size the beat is. 4 Then rewrite each example on the staves below, grouping the notes correctly according to the time signature. i No. of beats What size beat {2g # No.of beats What size beat tit No. of beats What size beat -& Heinemann Educational: Theory Matters‘Theory worksheet, On the lines below, write the grouping rule and then complete the rest of the sentence, Putting notes into bars but sometimes a whole bar of all join together. What is an anacrusis? @ What isa triplet? 6 Howisa triplet shown? Write one bar of quaver notes in each of the following time signatures. Don't forget to group them correctly. : . * Write one bar of semiquaver notes in each of the following time signatures. Don’t forget to group them correctly.- Se Heinemann Educational: Theory MattersFor each of these examples, add correctly grouped quavers at the places é marked *. Each bar must add up to the number of beats in the time signature. | * * * Rewrite these melodies on the staves helow with the notes grouped correctly according to the grouping rule. a @ 26 Heinemann Educational: Theory Matters© theory Ly Putting notes into bars ke er | a For each of these examples, add correctly grouped quavers at the places il marked *. a b ~ Rewrite these melodies on the staves below with the notes grouped correctly. 27 Heinemann Educational: Theory Matterswith the notes correctly grouped. Some melodies may have an anacrusis. (NB There may be more than one correct answer, but the bars must add up correctly.) | e Add barlines to these melodies, and then rewrite them on the staves below | | ———— @| 28 Heinemann Educational: Theory MattersLook very carefully at the time signatures in the following examples. Then add 4 stems and beams (joining bars) to each bar of quavers or semiquavers to group them correctly. There are no notes of other values in these examples. | Quavers a Semiquavers Semiquavers Add tails or beams to some of these notes so that each bar adds up to the time signature. 30 Heinemann Educational: Theory MattersTheory worksheet 5 A compound time signature: 3 eT Sa i] ~~ Complete these statements by drawing lines to the correct answer. A piece in a compound time has together in their beats A piece in a simple time has a skipping rhythm A time signature has undotted beats A 3 time signature has 2 dotted crotchet beats | A piece in § time has a semibreve rest | @ In § time quavers and semiquavers join 3 crotchet beats | In time a whole bar's rest is dotted beats @ How many beats in a bar are there in § time? 2 6 What size beat does § time have? Rewrite these pieces on the staves below with the notes correctly grouped for § SF. time. (NB Some beats may already be written correctly.) 29 Heinemann Educational: Theory MattersWrite the time signatures for these examples in the correct places. e@ a ee = 5 | Write this example out twice in the staves below a in § time; & in 3 time. Group each example correctly, | = — @& 32, Heinemann Educational: Theory Matters1 eon 5 A compound time signature: § | Be a What is a compound time, and how does it differ from simple time? 6 i Whatis the grouping rule for 8 time? i Are there any exceptions to this rule? Rewrite these examples on the staves below with the notes correctly grouped according to the time signatures. as 33 Heinemann Educational: Theory MattersA compound time signature: § 5. What is the difference between compound time and simple time? What sort of pieces use § time? Apart from the examples given in the pupil book (page 19), name two pieces which might use § time. i a i How many beats in a bar are there in 8 time? 4i What size beat does § time have? Rewrite these pieces on the staves below with the notes correctly grouped for § time. Si Heinemann Educational: Theory Matters} Theory worksheet ‘Add the time signatures to these examples. a ‘Add stems, dots and beams to each example as necessary, and group the notes correctly so that they add up to the time signature. (NB There are alternative answers to these questions. The important point is to arrange the notes correctly within the bars.) a -