Editing Metre (music) (section)

===Metres classified by the number of beats per measure===
{{anchor|Meters classified by the number of beats per measure}}

====Duple and quadruple metre====
{{anchor|Duple and quadruple meter}}
In [[duple metre]], each [[bar (music)|measure]] is divided into two [[beat (music)|beats]], or a multiple thereof ([[Quadruple meter|quadruple metre]]).

For example, in the time signature {{music|time|2|4}}, each bar contains two (2) [[Quarter note|quarter-note]] (4) beats. In the time signature {{music|time|6|8}}, each bar contains two [[Dotted quarter note|dotted-quarter-note]] beats.
:{|
|<score sound="1" override_midi="Simple duple drum pattern.mid">
\new Staff <<
 \new voice \relative c' {
   \clef percussion
   \numericTimeSignature
   \time 2/4
   \set Score.tempoHideNote = ##t \tempo 4 = 100
   \stemDown \repeat volta 2 { g4 d' }
  }
  \new voice \relative c'' {
   \override NoteHead.style = #'cross
   \stemUp \repeat volta 2 { a8 a a a }
   }
>>
</score>
|<score sound="1" override_midi="Compound duple drum pattern.mid">
\new Staff <<
 \new voice \relative c' {
  \clef percussion
  \numericTimeSignature
  \time 6/8
  \set Score.tempoHideNote = ##t \tempo 4. = 80
  \stemDown \repeat volta 2 { g4. d' }
  }
  \new voice \relative c'' {
  \override NoteHead.style = #'cross
  \stemUp \repeat volta 2 { a8 a a a a a }
  }
>>
</score>
|}

Corresponding quadruple metres are {{music|time|4|4}}, which has four quarter-note beats per measure, and {{music|time|12|8}}, which has four dotted-quarter-note beats per bar.

:{|
|<score sound="1" override_midi="Characteristic rock drum pattern.mid">
\new Staff <<
 \new voice \relative c' {
 \clef percussion
 \numericTimeSignature
 \time 4/4
 \set Score.tempoHideNote = ##t \tempo 4 = 100
 \stemDown \repeat volta 2 { g4 d' g, d' }
 }
 \new voice \relative c'' {
 \override NoteHead.style = #'cross
 \stemUp \repeat volta 2 { a8 a a a a a a a }
 }
>>
</score>
|<score sound="1" override_midi="Compound quadruple drum pattern.mid" lang="lilypond" vorbis="1">
\new Staff <<
 \new voice \relative c' {
 \clef percussion
 \numericTimeSignature
 \time 12/8
 \set Score.tempoHideNote = ##t \tempo 4. = 80
 \stemDown \repeat volta 2 { g4. d' g, d' }
 }
 \new voice \relative c'' {
 \override NoteHead.style = #'cross
 \stemUp \repeat volta 2 { a8 a a a a a a a a a a a }
 }
>>
</score>
|}

====Triple metre====
{{anchor|Triple meter}}
[[Triple metre]] is a metre in which each bar is divided into three beats, or a multiple thereof. For example, in the time signature {{music|time|3|4}}, each bar contains three (3) quarter-note (4) beats, and with a time signature of {{music|time|9|8}}, each bar contains three dotted-quarter beats.
:{|
|<score sound="1" override_midi="Simple triple drum pattern.mid">
\new Staff <<
 \new voice \relative c' {
 \clef percussion
 \numericTimeSignature
 \time 3/4
 \set Score.tempoHideNote = ##t \tempo 4 = 100
 \stemDown \repeat volta 2 { g4 d' d }
 }
 \new voice \relative c'' {
 \override NoteHead.style = #'cross
 \stemUp \repeat volta 2 { a8[ a] a[ a] a[ a] }
 }
>>
</score>
|<score sound="1" override_midi="Compound triple drum pattern.mid">
\new Staff <<
 \new voice \relative c' {
 \clef percussion
 \numericTimeSignature
 \time 9/8
 \set Score.tempoHideNote = ##t \tempo 4. = 80
 \stemDown \repeat volta 2 { g4. d' d }
 }
 \new voice \relative c'' {
 \override NoteHead.style = #'cross
 \stemUp \repeat volta 2 { a8 a a a a a a a a }
 }
>>
</score>
|}

==== More than four beats ====
Metres with more than four beats are called ''[[Quintuple meter|quintuple metres]]'' (5), ''[[sextuple metre]]s'' (6), ''[[Septuple meter|septuple metres]]'' (7), etc.

In classical music theory it is presumed that only divisions of two or three are perceptually valid, so a metre not divisible by 2 or 3, such as quintuple metre, say {{music|time|5|4}}, is assumed to either be equivalent to a measure of {{music|time|3|4}} followed by a measure of {{music|time|2|4}}, or the opposite: {{music|time|2|4}} then {{music|time|3|4}}. Higher metres which ''are'' divisible by 2 or 3 are considered equivalent to groupings of duple or triple metre measures; thus, {{music|time|6|4}}, for example, is rarely used because it is considered equivalent to two measures of {{music|time|3|4}}. See: [[#Hypermetre|hypermetre]] and [[additive rhythm and divisive rhythm]].

Higher metres are used more commonly in analysis, if not performance, of [[cross-rhythm]]s, as lowest number possible which may be used to count a [[polyrhythm]] is the [[lowest common denominator]] (LCD) of the two or more metric divisions. For example, much African music is recorded in Western notation as being in {{music|time|12|8}}, the LCD of 4 and 3.