Rhythm, Meter, and Syncopation
| For samples of duple, triple, and compound meters, and of syncopation, listen to the following music. | ||
| Duple meter | Scott Joplin, “Maple Leaf Rag” | Count ONE two | ONE two . . . etc., for about half a minute. |
| Duple meter | Beethoven, “Joy Theme” from Symphony No. 9, IV Schubert, from String Quartet in A Minor, I |
Count ONE two THREE four | ONE two THREE four . . . etc. |
| Triple meter | Schubert, from Symphony No. 8 (“Unfinished”), I Britten, The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra |
Count ONE two three | ONE two three . . . etc. |
| Compound meter | Beethoven, from Piano Concerto No. 5 (“Emperor”), III | Count ONE two three FOUR five six | ONE two three FOUR five six . . . etc. |
| Syncopation | In Scott Joplin’s “Maple Leaf Rag,” listen to the piano left hand, with its steady ONE two | ONE two beat in duple meter, while the right hand cuts across it with syncopations in almost every measure. | |