Course contents Lesson 5 of 19
Simple and Compound Meter
The difference between beats that divide into two (simple) and into three (compound).
Every time signature answers two questions: how many beats are in a bar, and how each beat splits into smaller notes. That second question is the whole difference between simple and compound meter. It is not about how fast the music goes, it is about how each beat divides.
Simple meter: beats divide into two
In simple meter, every beat splits into two equal parts. The common meters 2/4, 3/4 and 4/4 are all simple: the quarter note is the beat, and each quarter note divides into two eighth notes. Count "1-and, 2-and" and you are feeling that two-part division.
Compound meter: beats divide into three
In compound meter, every beat splits into three equal parts. Here the beat is a dotted note, because a dotted note is the one that divides cleanly into three. In 6/8 the beat is a dotted quarter, and each dotted-quarter beat divides into three eighth notes. Count "1-2-3, 4-5-6", but feel the pulse only on 1 and 4.
Reading the time signature
In a compound meter the top number is not the number of beats. It counts the eighth-note divisions. To find the actual beats, divide the top number by three:
- 6/8: 6 divided by 3 = 2 beats per bar.
- 9/8: 9 divided by 3 = 3 beats per bar.
- 12/8: 12 divided by 3 = 4 beats per bar.
This is why 6/8 feels "in two", like a fast waltz that has been paired up, or like a jig. There are six eighth notes on the page, but only two pulses in your body.
Simple and compound side by side
| Time signature | Beats per bar | Each beat divides into |
|---|---|---|
| 2/4 | 2 | two eighth notes (simple) |
| 3/4 | 3 | two eighth notes (simple) |
| 4/4 | 4 | two eighth notes (simple) |
| 6/8 | 2 | three eighth notes (compound) |
| 9/8 | 3 | three eighth notes (compound) |
| 12/8 | 4 | three eighth notes (compound) |
Same six eighth notes, two different feels. In 3/4 they group as three pairs; in 6/8 they group as two triplets. The grouping is the meter.
Feel it with the metronome
The best way to internalise this is to hear the grouping. Set the beats-per-bar control below to 2 and clap three even notes between each click: that is 6/8. Then set it to 3 and clap two notes per click: that is 3/4. Your ear will tell you which is which long before you count it.
Metronome
Practise in time with a steady, accurate click.
So the rule is short: if the beat divides into two, the meter is simple; if it divides into three, the meter is compound, and the beat is a dotted note.
Go deeper
How to read sheet music for beginners →Reading music looks like a foreign language. It is really just a handful of simple rules you can learn in an afternoon.