The importance of meter in music - practical applications

One of the keys to success as a musician is understanding how to manipulate the elements of music to play or create music. Meter in music is one such element. In this post, I will explain the concept of meter, its importance, and how to recognize it in music. You will also find suggestions on how to explore it in your music-making adventures. Let us begin!

What is meter?

To clarify, meter in music reflects how music moves through time. It is often understood as a series of equidistant pulses, also called beats. When we hear these pulses, our minds organize them into groups, a process known as entrainment. We perceive some pulses as stronger than others, and these cycles form our groupings.

Rhythm, melody, and harmony are usually organized within a framework set by these groupings and the way we feel and organize pulse accents. Time signatures are used in standard music notation to indicate the meter of a piece of music.

Meter and time signatures

The variety of time signatures indicates different ways to organize meters. We use different meters and their natural accents to organize rhythms into patterns, which are perceived as groupings or rhythmic cycles. This is referred to as beat hierarchy, where more important beats are accented. Typically, the first beat of every measure is the strongest.

Examples of common meters

For instance, a meter represented by a 3/4 time signature implies three beats per measure, with the accent on the first beat. The second beat is weak, and the third is slightly stronger, followed by a return to the first strong beat of the next measure. Below are audio examples of common meters with their natural accents or beat hierarchy:

Duple Meter – 2 beats per measure – i.e. Sousa’s “Stars and Stripes”

Triple Meter – 3 beats per measure – i.e. Strauss “Blue Danube Waltz”

Quadruple Meter – 4 beats per measure – i.e. Queen “Love of My Life”

As mentioned, there are many types of meters adjusted to the musical diversity we produce. You can group beats as shown above or in various combinations. Meters can be classified as simple (as shown above), compound (where the beat is divided into three equal parts), or irregular, also known as asymmetric or odd meters. Meters can change throughout a piece of music, and composers often use this as a musical effect, which can be quite dramatic.

For more information about rhythm and different time signatures, you can read a great article here.

How to recognize a meter in music?

To recognize the meter in a piece of music, follow the even beats. Identifying stronger beats and their regularity will inform you of how beats are grouped and thus, the meter.

The groove or rhythmic feel of a piece is usually tied to its meter and beat hierarchy. If you can identify these cycles, you will discover the meter and consequently the time signature of the song.

Try this exercise: use the beat hierarchy associated with the meters from the examples above to feel the beat cycles. Once you can count the beat cycles, apply the same technique to music you normally listen to.

Initially, you may find it challenging to identify meters. However, with practice, this skill becomes invaluable. It will help you recognize different meters in other pieces of music, aiding in predicting musical events, and serve as a compositional tool to create surprises or introduce unexpected elements in your music.

Flirting with beat hierarchy and meters

Understanding how something works allows you to manipulate it according to your vision. The old adage rings true here: “learn the rules so that you can break them.” You are not bound by the beat hierarchy of each meter; you can play with it.

Syncopation

One way to disrupt beat hierarchy is through syncopation, which involves shifting the accent from a strong beat to a weak beat.

In this audio example, you will hear a shift of the drum beat from the downbeat of the metronome to the upbeat:

Asymmetric divisions of the meter

Another way to play with the regular meter feel is to create odd groupings. Odd or asymmetric meters can be formed by combining two or more simple meters. For example, a 5/4 meter can be the sum of a 2/4 and a 3/4 meter. This results in the natural accents of each simple meter interfering with the overall rhythmic flow of the 5/4.

2+3 mixed meter

3+2 mixed meter

As a result, irregular meters are represented differently based on the intended natural accent or flow provided by the respective time signatures involved in the composition of the asymmetric division of the meter.

Different accents

Taking the concept of beat hierarchy further, you can play around with accents and shift them to unexpected places. This influences how a rhythmic part or groove is perceived. You can even use the same rhythmic cell for this effect by displacing the notes' accents. In the example below, you would normally expect the accents of every four-note group of sixteenth notes to be on the first note of that group, similar to the natural accents in a 4/4 meter. However, it sounds very different when the accents are displaced:

Polymeter

The final example involves adding different meters on top of the existing rhythm. Meters have their own naturally occurring accents that contribute to the overall rhythmic flow. However, when polymeters are used, the feel provided by the natural accents of the meters becomes blurred.

A polymeter is a superimposition of different meters played simultaneously and distinguishable from each other. It is the metrical equivalent of polytonality.

With polymeter, the bar sizes differ and eventually align after a certain number of bars. For instance, four bars of a 7/4 meter meet after seven bars of a 4/4 meter, while the tempo remains constant across all instruments in that section:

Same melodic bass phrase used in the first example with a 4/4 meter. Over this phrase, the drums are playing in reference to a 7/4 meter.

Conclusion

In conclusion, we have covered the concept of meter in music and its importance in organizing sounds through time. You are now equipped with exercises to practice meter recognition or explore this concept in your compositions. The suggestions provided will take you far. Now it’s time to start experimenting and bring your rhythms to life! Share your experimentation with meter in the comments below!

Happy composing!

About the author:

Pedro Murino Almeida is an award-winning composer with the musical project Follow No One, an expert musician, and an experienced music teacher. He maintains a blog called Beyond Music Theory, providing tools and instruction for music students and those wishing to learn about music theory, improve their songwriting, and enhance their music production skills.