Re: "Compound" meter

Thomas Morley <[email protected]> Tue, 6 Jan 2026 10:57:27 +0100

Newsgroups	gmane.comp.gnu.lilypond.devel
Message-ID	<CABsfGyXGTZcPD3=N58KKjxqt1sY98sSLnkHGUDUYE8p4=2AQbg@mail.gmail.com>

Am Di., 6. Jan. 2026 um 10:17 Uhr schrieb Kieren MacMillan
<[email protected]>:
>
> Hi Dan,
>
> > Would anyone here who teaches music in the English language encourage me to rename the NR node "Compound time signatures"?
>
> Yes.
>
> > What I remember being taught is that "compound" refers to meters with triplet subdivision, such as 6/8, 9/8, 12/8.
>
> Yes.
>
> >  Calling the time signatures in that NR section "complex" would make more sense to me
>
> I could abide that.  :)
>
> Other possibilities: “mixed meter” or “multi-meter”.
>
> Cheers,
> Kieren.

Actually you could regard 4/4 as a compound meter, built from two 2/4, etc.

For something like 5/8+3/4 I'd vote for "mixed-meter".

Cheers,
  Harm