6 replies to this topic

[RoseRodent]

I am having trouble with the page in Trinity book 2 about metronome markings. There are two possible interpretations of this question - put the metronome marks in order of the fastest beat irrespective of what that beat is, or put them in order of the fastest as compared to a crotchet beat (i.e. realising that minim 40 is faster than crotchet 60). There are no answers in the book for reference and the only sample exam I have which includes the question, they are only asked to compare 3 minim beats, so that didn't help either! From what it says, I am thinking it's asking to place them in order only of the number, which rather begs the question why include a mixture unless it's to make sure the candidate is familiar with seeing all the different sorts. Seems needlessly confusing. 

 

I have uploaded the page so you can see what I mean, but I'm not that sure if I can make it display without having to click through. If you're worried about copyright, it's a single page from a volume copies for the purposes of education, discussion and comment, so we are OK. 

 

[sbhoa]

I have the book.

Just had a look and all the questions ask that you put them in order of beat per minute and clarifies by adding quaver, crotchet or minim in brackets.

[RoseRodent]

clarifies by adding quaver, crotchet or minim in brackets.

Interesting that you found this clarifies, as that's the bit that made me confused! I still don't understand.

A. In order of number disregarding beat type or
B. In order of how fast the piece is performed assuming a crotchet beat?

Because the fact the explanatory page says quaver beat can be slow and minim beat fast would indicate B, the fact it doesn't tell you how to work any of it out indicates probably A. And the fact the specimen papers don't use mixed metre indicates A also. But putting them in order at all seems oddly futile unless it's B, as why tabulate them slowest to fastest when minim 48 is so much faster than quaver 72? It seems exactly the opposite of helpful to put them in this kind of table using strategy A, it undermines the precise teaching point it made in the initial paragraph. It doesn't even say that comparing the speed using mixed metre is an overall bad plan.

[sbhoa]

I don't read it like that.

A piece in 3/8 can be slow (quaver = 60)...quavers tend to look as though they are fast

A piece in 2/2 can be fast (minim =142).....minims appear to be slow.

 

Arrange in order of the speed of the beat I don't think needs the bit in brackets which I understand as meaning 'the beat may be quaver crotchet or minim')

and yes, all you need to be able to do is to put numbers in descending order so you can get this right without knowing what it means.

[mel2]

I'm resurrecting an old thread because it came up on a Google search I did on exactly the same question.
I wonder if anyone else confidently marks pupils' workbooks on this page, and is it simply a question of descending order of numbers or do those pesky minim beats skew the speed?

In other words, is minim=72 a faster or slower beat than crotchet=84?
The AB theory books are unclear and I've had no joy with Google. I've even tried a digital metronome and I'm still not sure!

[Hildegard]

In other words, is minim=72 a faster or slower beat than crotchet=84?
 

 

Slower. The number is the number of beats per minute. 72 beats per minute is less than 84 beats per minute, so the beat must be slower. It doesn't matter whether the beats are minims, crotchets, breves, semiquavers or any other value - that's only a visual matter and doesn't affect the sound of the beat.

[mel2]

Thank you, Hildegard.
(I was working through the book in order to write my own 'quick reference' answer book to enable me to mark pupils' theory homework and I was well and truly stuck on what seemed to be a deceptively simple question.)