encounter the terms
Arsis
and
Thesis
, terms adapted from Hellenistic
poetic meter. These have come to mean “upbeat” and “downbeat”
respectively. These are nearly slang definitions or, at best, jargon.
Arsis
is best described as “preparatory,” hence perceived as a relatively
weak pulse. Thesis is best described as “accentuated,” hence relatively
strong. It is interesting to note that, at various times in the history of
music, the meaning of these two terms has been reversed from time to
time.
Time signatures
7
consist of two numbers, one over another, placed at the
beginning of a composition. They may occur anywhere in a composition where a
meter change is required. They are NEVER written as fractions!
Simple and Compound Meter
To understand meter fully, we must first determine the fundamental nature of the
prevailing background pulse or beat. In given meters, we perceive beats as having
the potential (or capacity) of being divided in two ways:
1. The prevailing background pulse may be subdivided into
two
proportionally equal portions. Meters having this attribute are labeled
Simple Meter
(or
Simple time
).
2. The prevailing background pulse may be subdivided into
three
proportionally equal portions. Meters having this attribute are labeled
Compound Meter
(
Compound time
).
We name meters according to two criteria:
1. Is it
Simple
or
Compound
time?
2. How many prevailing background pulses are grouped together?
Figure 1.16
Simple and Compound Divisions of Given Pulses
7. Meter is expressed as time
signatures, indicating how
many pulses (beats) are
grouped together into cogent
units.
Chapter 1 The Elements of Rhythm: Sound, Symbol, and Time
1.2 Pulse, Tempo, and Meter
22
