simple time

Simple metres are duple (e.g., 2/2, 2/4), triple (3/4, 3/8), or quadruple (4/4, 4/8). Compound metres are also duple (6/

…to a measure—are known as simple time. The division of each of the component beats into three produces compound time:

In simple time, the top figure reflects the number of beats in each measure, or metrical unit; the bottom figure indicates the note value that receives one beat (here, respectively, half note, quarter note, eighth note, and sixteenth note). By comparison, compound metres (e.g., duple, as…