What is mixed meter?

What is mixed meter?

• A. When measures have the same meter throughout
• B. When rhythms are syncopated within a single meter
• C. When measures that have different meter appear in rapid succession
• D. When tempo changes within a measure

Answer: (C)

Meter is the pattern of beats grouped into measures, with a regular pulse. Mixed meter happens when that pattern changes from one measure to the next, so you hear different counting patterns in successive measures. When measures with different meters appear in rapid succession, the music shifts from one beat-counting pattern to another, creating a changing feel across the passage. This is different from having all measures in the same meter, which is regular meter. It’s also not about syncopation, which isaccenting off-beats within a single meter. And it isn’t about tempo changing within a measure, which is about speed rather than how the beats are grouped.

Meter is the pattern of beats grouped into measures, with a regular pulse. Mixed meter happens when that pattern changes from one measure to the next, so you hear different counting patterns in successive measures. When measures with different meters appear in rapid succession, the music shifts from one beat-counting pattern to another, creating a changing feel across the passage.

This is different from having all measures in the same meter, which is regular meter. It’s also not about syncopation, which isaccenting off-beats within a single meter. And it isn’t about tempo changing within a measure, which is about speed rather than how the beats are grouped.