Topmusicanswers
- How do you identify different meters?
- How do I find my meter signature?
- How can you tell the meter of a song?
How do you identify different meters?
Meter is determined by the number and type of feet in a line of poetry. A metrical foot consists of a combination of two or three stressed and unstressed syllables. Iambs, trochees, anapests, dactyls and spondees are the five most common types of feet.
How do I find my meter signature?
Count the beats out if you can. Listen for the first beat in each measure, then count out the notes, 1-2-3-4, 1-2-3, etc., until you hear the first beat of the next measure. Choose the most likely time signature for the song.
How can you tell the meter of a song?
Meter is notated at the beginning of a composition with a time signature. Time signatures are always notated with two numbers, one on top of the other, much like a fraction in math. The top number denotes the number of beats in each measure. The bottom number denotes the note value that receives the beat.
