About This Chapter: In Chapter 10, we focused on borrowing compound divisions into simple meter (triplets and sextuplets). In this chapter, we’ll focus on borrowing simple divisions into compound meter. As we know, the normal division of a beat in compound meter is into three parts; the subdivision is into six parts. However, we can borrow from simple meter to divide the beat into two equal parts (duplets) or four equal parts (quadruplets).

In the example below, measure 1 shows the typical division of compound meter beats into three parts. Measure 2 divides each beat into two equal parts instead. We borrow the syllables “1 &” from simple meter for these duplets. Measure 3 divides the beat into four equal parts (quadruplets). Again, we borrow syllables from compound meter: “1 e & a.”

Notation: How do you know which note values to use for a duplet or quadruplet? The principle in Chapter 10 was to use the rhythmic value of the closest normal division below the irregular division. This is still true for quadruplets: we’re dividing into 4 parts, and the closest normal division below 4 is 3, so we’ll use the rhythmic value that divides the beat into 3 equal parts. However, the duplet is an exception! For the duplet, we’ll actually go the opposite way—we’re trying to divide the beat into 2 equal parts, but we’ll go up to the closest normal division (3) and use that rhythmic value. Although this breaks the normal process, it has become the prevailing way to notate duplets (though some composers choose to follow the normal process and use the rhythmic value of the beat for duplets instead).