Changing the Pulse Note in Simple Meter: The Half Note

When the lower number of the time signature is 2 (2/2or , 3/2or 4/2), the half note becomes the pulse note

( = 1).

Exercise 7—Class Exercise

Compare the two charts below; the one on the left uses the half note as the pulse note, the one on the right uses

the quarter note as the pulse note. Notice in both charts, two quarter notes equal one half note ( ); the

difference between the charts is the value of the quarter note and all subsequent notes.

Use the chart on the left below to count and clap the six patterns that follow. Before you begin clapping,

count three beats out loud to establish the tempo.

Pattern 1 Pattern 2

Pattern 3 Pattern 4

Pattern 5 Pattern 6

RHYTHM: SIMPLE METER EXPANDED

C

qqh +^ =

qqh^ + =

h

q

e

w

q

e

x

Whole = 2 h

Half = 1

Quarter =

Eighth =

Half note as

pulse note

Half = 2

Quarter = 1

Eighth =

Sixteenth =

Quarter note as

pulse note

# of beats:

Count: 1 2 3

111

# of beats:

Count: 1 + 2 ++ 3

(+) (+) (+)

Half note = 1

QQQQQQ

H HH

# of beats:

Count: 1 e +2eaa +3ea+

QQQQQQQQQ

# of beats:

Count: 1 e + (a) 2 e + (a) 3 e + (a)

OR: 1e+ 2e+ 3e+

QQQQQQQQQ

# of beats:

Count: 1 (e) + a 2 (e) + a 3 (e) + a

OR: 1+2+ 3+a aa

Quarter note =

Eighth note =

QQE EEQ

# of beats:

Count: 1 (e +) a 2 (e +) a 3 (e +) a

OR: 1 (+) a 2 (+) aa 3 (+)

OR: 1 a 2 aa 3

( ) ( ) ( )

# of beats:

Count: 1 2 3

111

# of beats:

Count: 1 + 2 ++ 3

(+) (+) (+)

Half note = 1

QQQQQQ

H HH

# of beats:

Count: 1 e +2eaa +3ea+

QQQQQQQQQ

# of beats:

Count: 1 e + (a) 2 e + (a) 3 e + (a)

OR: 1e+ 2e+ 3e+

QQQQQQQQQ

# of beats:

Count: 1 (e) + a 2 (e) + a 3 (e) + a

OR: 1+2+ 3+a aa

Quarter note =

Eighth note =

QQE EEQ

# of beats:

Count: 1 (e +) a 2 (e +) a 3 (e +) a

OR: 1 (+) a 2 (+) aa 3 (+)

OR: 1 a 2 aa 3

( ) ( ) ( )

# of beats:

Count: 1 2 3

111

# of beats:

Count: 1 + 2 ++ 3

(+) (+) (+)

Half note = 1

QQQQQQ

H HH

# of beats:

Count: 1 e +2eaa +3ea+

QQQQQQQQQ

# of beats:

Count: 1 e + (a) 2 e + (a) 3 e + (a)

OR: 1e+ 2e+ 3e+

QQQQQQQQQ

# of beats:

Count: 1 (e) + a 2 (e) + a 3 (e) + a

OR: 1+2+ 3+a aa

Quarter note =

Eighth note =

QQE EEQ

# of beats:

Count: 1 (e +) a 2 (e +) a 3 (e +) a

OR: 1 (+) a 2 (+) aa 3 (+)

OR: 1 a 2 aa 3

( ) ( ) ( )

# of beats:

Count: 1 2 3

111

# of beats:

Count: 1 + 2 ++ 3

(+) (+) (+)

Half note = 1

QQQQQQ

H HH

# of beats:

Count: 1 e +2eaa +3ea+

QQQQQQQQQ

# of beats:

Count: 1 e + (a) 2 e + (a) 3 e + (a)

OR: 1e+ 2e+ 3e+

QQQQQQQQQ

# of beats:

Count: 1 (e) + a 2 (e) + a 3 (e) + a

OR: 1+2+ 3+a aa

Quarter note =

Eighth note =

QQE EEQ

# of beats:

Count: 1 (e +) a 2 (e +) a 3 (e +) a

OR: 1 (+) a 2 (+) aa 3 (+)

OR: 1 a 2 aa 3

( ) ( ) ( )

# of beats:

Count: 1 2 3

111

# of beats:

Count: 1 + 2 ++ 3

(+) (+) (+)

Half note = 1

QQQQQQ

H HH

# of beats:

Count: 1 e +2eaa +3ea+

QQQQQQQ QQ

# of beats:

Count: 1 e + (a) 2 e + (a) 3 e + (a)

OR: 1e+ 2e+ 3e+

QQQQQQQQQ

# of beats:

Count: 1 (e) + a 2 (e) + a 3 (e) + a

OR: 1+2+ 3+a aa

Quarter note =

Eighth note =

QQE EEQ

# of beats:

Count: 1 (e +) a 2 (e +) a 3 (e +) a

OR: 1 (+) a 2 (+) aa 3 (+)

OR: 1 a 2 aa 3

( ) ( ) ( )

# of beats:

Count: 1 2 3

111

# of beats:

Count: 1 + 2 ++ 3

(+) (+) (+)

Half note = 1

QQQQQQ

H HH

# of beats:

Count: 1 e +2eaa +3ea+

QQQQQQQQQ

# of beats:

Count: 1 e + (a) 2 e + (a) 3 e + (a)

OR: 1e+ 2e+ 3e+

QQQQQQQQQ

# of beats:

Count: 1 (e) + a 2 (e) + a 3 (e) + a

OR: 1+2+ 3+a aa

Quarter note =

Eighth note =

QQE EEQ

# of beats:

Count: 1 (e +) a 2 (e +) a 3 (e +) a

OR: 1 (+) a 2 (+) aa 3 (+)

OR: 1 a 2 aa 3

( ) ( ) ( )

# of beats:

Count: 1 2 3

111

# of beats:

Count: 1 + 2 ++ 3

(+) (+) (+)

Half note = 1

QQQQQQ

H HH

# of beats:

Count: 1 e +2eaa +3ea+

QQQQQQQQQ

# of beats:

Count: 1 e + (a) 2 e + (a) 3 e + (a)

OR: 1e+ 2e+ 3e+

QQQQQQQQQ

# of beats:

Count: 1 (e) + a 2 (e) + a 3 (e) + a

OR: 1+2+ 3+a aa

Quarter note =

Eighth note =

Q EEEQ Q

# of beats:

Count: 1 (e +) a 2 (e +) a 3 (e +) a

OR: 1 (+) a 2 (+) aa 3 (+)

OR: 1 a 2 aa 3

( ) ( ) ( )

121

of beats:

Count: 1 2 3

111

of beats:

Count: 1 + 2 ++ 3

(+) (+) (+)

Half note = 1

QQQQQQ

H HH

of beats:

Count: 1 e +2eaa +3ea+

QQQQQQQQQ

of beats:

Count: 1 e + (a) 2 e + (a) 3 e + (a)
OR: 1e+ 2e+ 3e+

QQQQQQQQQ

of beats:

Count: 1 (e) + a 2 (e) + a 3 (e) + a
OR: 1+2+ 3+a aa

Quarter note =

Eighth note =

QQE EEQ

of beats:

Count: 1 (e +) a 2 (e +) a 3 (e +) a
OR: 1 (+) a 2 (+) aa 3 (+)
OR: 1 a 2 aa 3

( ) ( ) ( )

# of beats:

Count: 1 2 3

111

# of beats:

Count: 1 + 2 ++ 3

(+) (+) (+)

Half note = 1

QQQQQQ

H HH

# of beats:

Count: 1 e +2eaa +3ea+

QQQQQQQQQ

# of beats:

Count: 1 e + (a) 2 e + (a) 3 e + (a)

OR: 1e+ 2e+ 3e+

QQQQQQQQQ

# of beats:

Count: 1 (e) + a 2 (e) + a 3 (e) + a

OR: 1+2+ 3+a aa

Quarter note =

Eighth note =

QQE EEQ

# of beats:

Count: 1 (e +) a 2 (e +) a 3 (e +) a

OR: 1 (+) a 2 (+) aa 3 (+)

OR: 1 a 2 aa 3

( ) ( ) ( )

of beats:

Count: 1 2 3

111

of beats:

Count: 1 + 2 ++ 3

(+) (+) (+)

Half note = 1

QQQQQQ

H HH

of beats:

Count: 1 e +2eaa +3ea+

QQQQQQQQQ

of beats:

Count: 1 e + (a) 2 e + (a) 3 e + (a)
OR: 1e+ 2e+ 3e+

QQQQQQQQQ

of beats:

Count: 1 (e) + a 2 (e) + a 3 (e) + a
OR: 1+2+ 3+a aa

Quarter note =

Eighth note =

QQE EEQ

of beats:

Count: 1 (e +) a 2 (e +) a 3 (e +) a
OR: 1 (+) a 2 (+) aa 3 (+)
OR: 1 a 2 aa 3

( ) ( ) ( )

music fundamentals-01-cnew.qxd 9/10/13 09:44 Page 121