A. Dance / C. Music · Music and DanceMusic: 9/8, 6/4 and 5/4 Time
C1.5 C1.2 C1.1 C2.2About 40 minutes
Learning goals- I can explain the difference between simple and compound metre.
- I can count and clap 9/8 time as three big beats: one-and-a-two-and-a-three-and-a.
- I can read 6/4 as a compound metre with two big beats.
- I can feel 5/4 time as groups of 3 + 2 or 2 + 3, and check that bars add up correctly.
Words to know
metre
The way beats are grouped in music, shown by the time signature.
simple metre
A metre where each beat divides into two equal parts (like 2/4, 3/4 and 4/4).
compound metre
A metre where each beat divides into three equal parts (like 6/8, 9/8, 12/8 and 6/4).
dotted quarter note
A note that lasts as long as three eighth notes. In 6/8 and 9/8 it is one big beat.
irregular metre
A metre whose beats are grouped unevenly, such as 5/4 (3 + 2 or 2 + 3).
accent
A mark (>) that tells you to play a note with extra force.
Remember from Grade 5
In Grade 5 you learned 6/8 time: six eighth notes in a bar, felt as two big beats, each split into three (1 2 3 4 5 6, with the big beats on 1 and 4). You also learned that a dotted quarter note lasts as long as three eighth notes.
This year you will meet more metres: 9/8, 6/4 and the uneven 5/4.
Simple and compound metre
Every metre has a beat you could tap your foot to. The question is: how does each beat divide?
- In simple metre, each beat splits into two: 1-and, 2-and. Examples: 2/4, 3/4, 4/4.
- In compound metre, each beat splits into three: 1-and-a, 2-and-a. Examples: 6/8, 9/8, 12/8, 6/4.
Compound metre often feels like skipping or rocking, while simple metre feels like marching or walking.
9/8 time
The top number, 9, means there are nine of the small notes in a bar. The bottom number, 8, means the small note is the eighth note. We feel them in three groups of three, so there are three big beats. Each big beat is a dotted quarter note.
Count it like this: one-and-a-two-and-a-three-and-a. The strongest beat is one; two and three are a little weaker.
The slip jig, a kind of Irish dance tune, is in 9/8.
6/4 time
6/4 has six quarter notes in a bar. Like 6/8, we feel them as two groups of three, so 6/4 is compound too. Each big beat is a dotted half note (three quarter notes long). Count: one-two-three-four-five-six, with big beats on 1 and 4.
5/4 time
5/4 has five quarter-note beats in each bar. Five can't split into equal groups, so musicians feel it as 3 + 2 (ONE two three FOUR five) or 2 + 3 (ONE two THREE four five). That uneven feeling makes 5/4 sound restless or unusual.
Famous pieces in 5/4 include the jazz piece Take Five (by Paul Desmond, played by the Dave Brubeck Quartet), the Mission: Impossible theme by Lalo Schifrin, and Mars, the Bringer of War from Gustav Holst's The Planets.
| Time signature | Kind | Big beats per bar | One big beat is a... | Count |
|---|
| 4/4 | simple | 4 | quarter note | 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & |
| 6/8 | compound | 2 | dotted quarter | 1 & a 2 & a |
| 9/8 | compound | 3 | dotted quarter | 1 & a 2 & a 3 & a |
| 6/4 | compound | 2 | dotted half | 1 2 3 4 5 6 |
| 5/4 | irregular (simple beats) | 5 (grouped 3 + 2 or 2 + 3) | quarter note | 1 2 3 4 5 |
Worked exampleExample: Let's check that a 9/8 bar adds up
Does this bar fit in 9/8? dotted quarter, quarter, eighth, three eighths.
- Count everything in eighth notes, because 9/8 counts eighths.
- Dotted quarter = 3 eighths. Quarter = 2 eighths. Eighth = 1. Three eighths = 3.
- Add them: 3 + 2 + 1 + 3 = 9.
- Check the big beats: big beat 1 = dotted quarter (3); big beat 2 = quarter + eighth (2 + 1 = 3); big beat 3 = three eighths (3). Each big beat has three eighths, so it is easy to read.
Yes. The bar adds up to 9 eighth notes, three groups of three.
Worked exampleExample: Let's feel 5/4 with body percussion
Let's perform one bar of 5/4 grouped 3 + 2 using body percussion, then change it to 2 + 3.
- 3 + 2: pat your knees on the strong beats and clap on the others: PAT clap clap PAT clap. Say: ONE two three FOUR five.
- Repeat it four times without stopping. Keep the beats even. Only the accents change, not the speed.
- 2 + 3: PAT clap PAT clap clap. Say: ONE two THREE four five.
- Notice: both versions have five even beats, but the strong beats move, so the music feels different. That is a choice a composer makes to create an effect.
Both patterns have five equal beats. 3 + 2 puts the second accent on beat 4; 2 + 3 puts it on beat 3.
Just for funQ: Why did the 5/4 bar have trouble at the square dance?
A: Its five beats could never split into even partners, so it went 3 + 2 instead!
Hands-on activityMetre kitchen band
You need: a pot and a wooden spoon, a sealed plastic container with a little dry rice inside (lid taped on), and paper and a pencil.
- 9/8: hit the pot on each big beat and shake the container on the small ones: POT shake shake POT shake shake POT shake shake. Say one-and-a-two-and-a-three-and-a while you play.
- 6/4: play POT shake shake POT shake shake (two big beats).
- 5/4: play POT shake shake POT shake (3 + 2). Then switch to 2 + 3.
- Write a 2-bar rhythm in 9/8 using dotted quarters, quarters and eighths. Check each bar adds up to 9 eighths, then play it.
- Ask someone to guess which metre you are playing: 9/8, 6/4 or 5/4. How did they know?
Your turn
1What is the difference between simple and compound metre?
In simple metre each beat divides into two; in compound metre each beat divides into three.
2How many eighth notes fill a bar of 9/8? How many big beats are there?
9 eighth notes, felt as 3 big beats.
3Count a bar of 9/8 out loud.
One-and-a-two-and-a-three-and-a.
4How many dotted quarter notes fill a bar of 9/8?
3 (each is 3 eighths: 3 × 3 = 9).
5In 6/4, what note gets one big beat?
A dotted half note (three quarter notes long).
6Clap and pat a bar of 5/4 grouped 3 + 2.
Look for five even beats: PAT clap clap PAT clap, with the accents on beats 1 and 4.
7Name one famous piece in 5/4.
Any one: Take Five, the Mission: Impossible theme, or Holst's Mars, the Bringer of War.
More practice: warm-up
1Is 4/4 simple or compound?
2Is 9/8 simple or compound?
3How many quarter-note beats are in a bar of 5/4?
4How many eighth notes is a dotted quarter worth?
5What does the bottom number 8 in 9/8 tell you?
The eighth note is the note being counted.
More practice: on your own
1Does this bar fit in 9/8? dotted quarter, dotted quarter, quarter, eighth.
Yes. 3 + 3 + 2 + 1 = 9 eighth notes.
2Complete this 5/4 bar: quarter, quarter, half note, ___.
One quarter note. 1 + 1 + 2 = 4 beats, so 1 more beat is needed.
3Why is 6/4 compound even though its bottom number is 4?
Because its six quarter notes are felt in two groups of three; each big beat divides into three.
4A bar of 9/8 has a dotted half note. How many eighth notes are left to fill?
A dotted half = 6 eighths, so 3 eighths are left (for example, a dotted quarter).
5Describe how 5/4 might sound different from 4/4 to a listener.
5/4 has an uneven grouping (3 + 2 or 2 + 3), so it can feel restless, off-balance or unusual. 4/4 groups evenly and feels steady and familiar.
Challenge
1Write two different bars of 9/8 that each use exactly four notes. Show that each adds up.
Examples: (1) dotted quarter + dotted quarter + quarter + eighth = 3 + 3 + 2 + 1 = 9. (2) three eighths + dotted half = 1 + 1 + 1 + 6 = 9. Any four notes adding to 9 eighths are correct.
2A composer wants a piece to sound like a gentle rocking boat and another to sound like a nervous, limping robot. Which metre would you suggest for each, and why?
Rocking boat: a compound metre such as 6/8 or 9/8, because the beats divide into three, giving a smooth, swaying feel. Limping robot: 5/4, because the uneven 3 + 2 grouping feels lopsided and jerky.
3Explain why 6/8 and 3/4 both have six eighth notes in a bar but feel different.
3/4 groups the six eighths into three beats of two (1 & 2 & 3 &). 6/8 groups them into two beats of three (1 & a 2 & a). The total length is the same, but the accents fall in different places, so they feel different (3/4 like a waltz, 6/8 like a lilt or a skip).
Quiz
1. In compound metre, each beat divides into ___.
2. How many big beats are in a bar of 9/8?
4. 5/4 is often felt as ___.
5. One big beat in 6/4 is a ___.
6. Which of these is in 5/4?
Big idea: Students show their understanding of musical notation and the Grade 6 duration concepts, 9/8 metre (counted one-and-a-two-and-a-three-and-a) and other compound metres such as 6/4, and 5/4 metre, through performance and composition (C1.5, C1.1), apply them for an effect (C1.2), and describe how they are used (C2.2).
How to help at home:
- Count and clap together. Say the counts out loud; it really helps.
- Listen to Take Five together and try to tap the five beats (ONE two three FOUR five).
- Search for an Irish slip jig recording and tap the three big beats.
Common difficulties:
- Counting 9/8 as nine equal stomps. Feel the three big beats; tap your foot only on 1, 2, 3.
- Bars that don't add up. Convert everything to eighth notes first (dotted quarter = 3, quarter = 2).
- Speeding up in 5/4. All five beats are equal; only the accents change.