Re: "Compound" meter

Hi Hans,

>> 1. For 7/8 and sim., I like “irregular”.
>> 2. For (3+4)/8 and sim., I like “additive”.
> 
> For irregular meters, it is common not to write out the plus sign, not at all, or just enough to provide suitable disambiguation. Thus, there is a difference between irregular meters and irregular time signatures.
> 
> In your example 2, both meters are irregular, but the second could be called, in addition, an additive time signature. In the example 1, the meter could be said to be 3+2+2 or 2+2+3, leaving it to the performer to infer it, say from the beaming or the type of tune.

Excellent differentiation! Yes, “irregular time signature” probably doesn’t make any real semantic sense: 7/8 is a “regular” time signature denoting an *irregular* meter.  :)

>> 3. For 3/8+2/4 and sim., I like “mixed”.
> 
> In Bulgarian music, they have complex irregular meters, but when they combine meters, they call it mixed. They need not be complex: there was a case of switching between 2- and 3-time.
> There can be an ambiguity. For example, the Sedi Donka noted as mixed 25 = 7+7+11 separated by bars, with irregular meters 7 = 3+2+2, and 11 = 2+2+3+2+2 with no plus signs.
> However, because the mixed meter is completely regular, it is natural to think of it as an irregular meter in 25-time. So there, I decided to use dotted bars.
> 
>> 4. For 6/8 (3/4) and sim., I like “alternating”.
> 
> You mean as in America, the West Side Story song?
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/America_(West_Side_Story_song)

Yes.

> In the Bulgarian usage, “mixed” just means that the meter is shifting; it need not do that in a regular manner.

If the meter shifted regularly between 3/8+2/4 and 3/4, would it be accurate and clear to say:
    3/8+2/4 is an additive time signature denoting an irregular meter (7/8);
    3/4 is a simple triple meter denoting a regular meter (3/4); and
    (3/8+2/4)(3/4) is a alternating [and “complex”?] time signature combination denoting a meter that shifts in a regular manner

?

> I haven't encountered those, so fine. 🙂

There are some very illustrative — and very logical — examples in the works of some modern classical composers (e.g., Adès).

>> 6. I would like to save “irrational” for 3/π and other truly irrational signatures.
> 
> It agrees with the mathematical definition of irrational numbers.
> 
>> 7. “Compound” can be reserved for cases in which [to quote that Wikipedia page] “the note values specified by the bottom number are grouped into threes, and the upper number is a multiple of 3, such as 6, 9, or 12”, and “simple” can be reserved for the rest.
> 
> This terminology seems deeply ingrained in English usage.

Yes, that one seems fixed.

Thanks,
Kieren.
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