Theory of Music – Grade 1

Master Your Theory by Dulcie Holland

Grade 1

Lesson Eight – Simple Duple and Simple Triple Time

Barline and Double Barline

Music falls naturally into repeating patterns of strong and weak beats.

Notes and rests are written in BARS to show these patterns.

Barlines are thin straight lines drawn across the stave dividing it into bars. To show the end of a piece of music, a DOUBLE BARLINE , one thin and one thick line is used.

Time Signature

A time signature is two numbers, one on top of the other, written at the beginning of the stave to show the number and value of the beats in each bar which follows.

The top number tells how many beats there are in every bar.

The bottom number tells the kind of beats in every bar.

Simple Duple

Simple Duple time means two beats in the bar as in marching music.

The first beat is a STRONG beat and the second beat is a WEAK beat.

STRONG beats are played slightly louder than WEAK beats.

The time signature 2/4 indicates simple duple time.

It’s SIMPLE because the BEAT (crotchet) can be divided into TWO EQUAL PARTS (2 quavers)

It’s DUPLE because there are 2 CROTCHET BEATS in a bar.

Simple Triple

Simple Triple time means three beats in the bar as in waltzing music.

The first beat is a STRONG beat and the second and third beats are WEAK beats.

STRONG beats are played slightly louder than WEAK beats.

The time signature 3/4 indicates simple triple time.

It’s SIMPLE because the BEAT (crotchet) can be divided into TWO EQUAL PARTS (2 quavers)

It’s TRIPLE because there are 3 CROTCHET BEATS in a bar.

Simple Duple or Simple Triple?

Simple Duple or Simple Triple?

Grouping of Quavers

Always group quavers in two’s in simple duple and simple triple time.

Minim Rest

NEVER USE A MINIM REST IN 3/4 TIME SIGNATURE

DO NOT USE IN 3/4 TIME:

Completing Beats

When writing bars with notes or rests that are incomplete, always finish the incomplete beat first before completing the bar.