D. Dots, Ties, and Syncopation

Compound-Meter Syncopation: Ties and Dotted Eighth Notes

This chapter rounds out our work with rhythms in dotted-quarter-note-beat compound-meter time signatures. While the rhythmic values shown here will be familiar to you, they are often notated in unconventional ways, particularly when the rhythm is meant to obscure the notated meter in some way. Much of the work you do in this chapter will prepare you for Chapters 4, 5, and other later chapters in which beat divisions and groupings are mixed freely and frequently.

Exercise 2D-1: Launy Grøndahl, Trombone Concerto, Movement 2

Exercise 2D-2: Amy Beach, Theme and Variations for Flute and String Quartet, Op. 80, Variation 1

Exercise 2D-3: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Symphony Number 4 in F minor, Op. 36, Movement 1

Exercise 2D-4: Launy Grøndahl, Trombone Concerto, Movement 3

Exercise 2D-5: Johannes Brahms, String Quintet Number 2, Op. 111, Movement 1

Exercise 2D-6: Richard Strauss, Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche, Op. 28

Exercise 2D-7 is usually conducted in 6 with the eighth note assigned to the beat. It is worth practicing this excerpt at both faster and as-notated tempi to fine-tune phrasing, rhythmic accuracy, and so on, doing your best to conduct in 2. (A larger, slower conducting pattern will help with this.) The 9/8 measure is no real cause for concern; simply remember to conduct a 3 pattern for that bar. Doing so will prepare you for the work you will do in Chapter 11.

Exercise 2D-7: Johannes Brahms, Symphony Number 1 in C minor, Op. 68, Movement 1