What is mixed meter in music?

Answer 1

Mixed meter is when one piece of music has multiple meters or time signatures during the piece. A simple example: A song's verse is in 4/4, but the chorus is in 3/4 time. However, mixed meter more commonly means that the meter changes frequently (often every measure) during a piece. In these cases, the lower number in the time signature usually remains constant. For example, the meter might change every measure from 3/8 to 6/8 to 5/8 to 9/8 to 12/8, etc.

Answer 2

When listening to a piece of music we usually feel some beats more strongly than others, so that we can count a recurring pattern of loud and soft, or "accented" and "unaccented" beats. (an accent is a stress placed on a note or beat). For example, in a march we could count a ONE-two pattern, the ONE being the accented note and the beginning of the bar. In a waltz the pattern would be ONE-two-three. Most songs have a ONE-two-three-four pattern.

The patterning of beats into repeated groups is called "metre". The unit of time occupied by one group of beats (that is, from one accented beat to the next) is called a bar. Metre provides a framework of bars within the sounds and silences of music occur.

The are three basic metres in music:

1. duple metre - two beats in a bar

2. triple metre - three beats to a bar

3. quadruple metre - four beats to a bar

Actually, meter in music is spelt "metre".

When listening to a piece of music we usually feel some beats more strongly than others, so that we can count a recurring pattern of loud and soft, or "accented" and "unaccented" beats. (an accent is a stress placed on a note or beat). For example, in a march we could count a ONE-two pattern, the ONE being the accented note and the beginning of the bar. In a waltz the pattern would be ONE-two-three. Most songs have a ONE-two-three-four pattern.

The patterning of beats into repeated groups is called "metre". The unit of time occupied by one group of beats (that is, from one accented beat to the next) is called a bar. Metre provides a framework of bars within the sounds and silences of music occur.

The are three basic metres in music:

1. duple metre - two beats in a bar

2. triple metre - three beats to a bar

3. quadruple metre - four beats to a bar