View source for Duple and quadruple metre

{{short description|Musical metre}}
{{More citations needed|date=November 2019}}
==Duple metre==
'''Duple metre''' (or '''duple meter''' in [[American and British English spelling differences#-re, -er|US spelling]], also known as '''duple time''') is a musical [[metre (music)|metre]] characterized by a primary division of 2 beats to the bar, usually indicated by 2 and multiples ([[Simple meter|simple]]) or 6 and multiples ([[Compound meter (music)|compound]]) in the upper figure of the [[time signature]], with {{music|time|2|2}} ([[Alla breve|cut time]], also notated as {{music|cut-time}}), {{music|time|2|4}}, and fast {{music|time|6|8}} being the most common examples.

Shown below are a simple and a compound duple drum pattern.

:<score sound="1" override_midi="Simple duple drum pattern.mid">
    \new Staff <<
       \new voice \relative c' {
           \clef percussion
           \numericTimeSignature
           \time 2/4
           \set Score.tempoHideNote = ##t \tempo 4 = 100
           \stemDown \repeat volta 2 { g4 d' }
       }
       \new voice \relative c'' {
           \override NoteHead.style = #'cross
           \stemUp \repeat volta 2 { a8 a a a }
       }
   >></score>

:<score sound="1" override_midi="Compound duple drum pattern.mid">
   \new Staff <<
       \new voice \relative c' {
           \clef percussion
           \numericTimeSignature
           \time 6/8
           \set Score.tempoHideNote = ##t \tempo 4. = 80
           \stemDown \repeat volta 2 { g4. d' }
       }
       \new voice \relative c'' {
           \override NoteHead.style = #'cross
           \stemUp \repeat volta 2 { a8 a a a a a }
       }
   >></score>

Though the upper figure ''must'' be divisible by 2 in duple metre, the contrary is not necessarily true. For instance, in the first movement of [[Maurice Ravel]]'s [[Piano Trio (Ravel)#I. Modéré|Piano Trio]], the {{music|time|8|8}} time signature is subdivided as {{serif|'''3+2+3'''}} (3 beats) rather than a {{serif|'''4+4'''}} subdivision (2 beats, duple metre). The movement is in [[Time signature#Complex time signatures|odd time]], not duple metre, even though the upper figure {{serif|'''8'''}} is divisible by 2.

Duple time is especially common in [[March (music)|marches]] (especially in [[American march music#Meter|American march music]]), where the duple meter provides a clear upbeat/downbeat feel that is suitable for [[marching]]. Duple time is also common in many styles including the [[polka]], well known for its obvious "[[oom-pah]]" duple feel. Compare to the [[waltz]], a form in [[triple metre]], where the feel is an "oom-pah-pah" triple feel. 

==Quadruple metre==
'''Quadruple metre''' (or '''quadruple meter''' in [[American and British English spelling differences#-re, -er|US spelling]], also known as '''quadruple time''') is a musical metre characterized in modern practice by a primary division of 4 beats to the bar,<ref>{{cite dictionary |year = 2001 |title = Quadruple time |dictionary = [[The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians]] |edition = 2nd |editor1-first = S. |editor1-last = Sadie |editor1-link = Stanley Sadie |editor2-link = John Tyrrell (musicologist) |editor2-first = J. |editor2-last = Tyrrell |place = London, UK |publisher = Macmillan }}</ref> usually indicated by 4 in the upper figure of the [[time signature]], with {{music|time|4|4}} ([[common time]], also notated as {{music|common-time}}) being the most common example.

Shown below are a simple and a compound quadruple drum pattern.

:<score sound="1" override_midi="Characteristic rock drum pattern.mid">
    \new Staff <<
       \new voice \relative c' {
           \clef percussion
           \numericTimeSignature
           \time 4/4
           \set Score.tempoHideNote = ##t \tempo 4 = 100
           \stemDown \repeat volta 2 { g4 d' g, d' }
       }
       \new voice \relative c'' {
           \override NoteHead.style = #'cross
           \stemUp \repeat volta 2 { a8 a a a a a a a }
       }
   >></score>

:<score sound="1" override_midi="Compound quadruple drum pattern.mid">
    \new Staff <<
       \new voice \relative c' {
           \clef percussion
           \numericTimeSignature
           \time 12/8
           \set Score.tempoHideNote = ##t \tempo 4. = 80
           \stemDown \repeat volta 2 { g4. d' g, d' }
       }
       \new voice \relative c'' {
           \override NoteHead.style = #'cross
           \stemUp \repeat volta 2 { a8 a a a a a a a a a a a }
       }
   >></score>

The most common time signature in [[Rock music|rock]], [[blues]], [[Country music|country]], [[funk]], and [[Pop music|pop]] is {{music|time|4|4}}.<ref name=Schroedl>{{cite book |last = Schroedl |first = Scott |year = 2001 |title = Play Drums Today! |page = 42 |publisher = Hal Leonard |ISBN = 0-634-02185-0 }}</ref> Although jazz writing has become more adventurous since [[Dave Brubeck]]'s [[Time Out (album)|''Time Out'']], the majority of jazz and jazz standards are still in "[[common time]]" ({{music|time|4|4}}).

==Sources==
{{reflist|25em}}

{{Musical meter}}
{{Rhythm and meter}}
{{Musical notation}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Duple meter}}
[[Category:Time signatures]]