Music theory games > Lessons > Duration of sounds > Time signature > 9/8 time signature example

9/8 time signature example

Explanation of 9/8 time signature

In the article time signature, this is explained that:

- the top number indicates the number of time units in a measure (bar ).
- the bottom number determines the unit of time.

We can visually translate time signature 9/8 like this:

That is to say that there are 9 eighth notes eighth note (quaver) (quavers ) per measure.

But, what is not indicated in the time signature is that can to a simple meter measure or a compound meter. In the article simple and compound meter, you learned that:

- Simple meter (or simple time) is a meter where each beat in a measure can be subdivided by two.
- Compound meter (or compound time) is a meter where each beat in a measure can be subdivided by three.

A beat with 9/8 time signature can be divided by two or three, it depends on the context.

Here are the beats for a simple meter time signature 9/8 measure:

Beats in 9/8 time signature

In that case (simple meter):

- 1 eighth note eighth note (quaver) (quaver ) equals 1 beat
- 2 sixteenth sixteenth note (semiquaver) notes (semiquavers ) equals 1 beat
- 1 dotted quarter note dotted quarter note (dotted crotchet) (dotted crotchet ) equals 3 beats
- and so on...

Here are the beats for a compound meter time signature 9/8 measure:

Beats in 9/8 time signature

- 1 dotted quarter note (dotted crotchet ) equals 1 beat
- 1 dotted half note Dotted half note (dotted minim) (dotted minim ) equals 2 beats
- 3 eighth note eighth note (quaver) (quaver ) equals 1 beat
- 6 sixteenth sixteenth note (semiquaver) notes (semiquavers ) equals 1 beat
- and so on...

In the vast majority of cases, a 9/8 bar is a 3 beats compound measure, where each beat equals a dotted quarter note dotted quarter note (dotted crotchet) (dotted crotchet ):

Beats in 9/8 time signature

Examples found in famous works

Debussy, Clair de Lune (moonlight)

The movement entitled Clair de Lune (moonlight in French) from Suite bergamasque by Claude Debussy use 9/8 time signature:

This royalty free sound sample was recorded by Caela Harrison (source, Attribution-No Derivative Works 3.0 license. You will notice the use of duplets.

12/8 time signature example

6/8 time signature example

Comments

setanta wrote on 24-09-2024 :

This time signature is used in two Genesis songs (that I know of): Apocalypse in 9/8, a section of Supper's Ready, and Riding the Scree. Tony Banks' keyboard solos make it sort of hard to count, though.

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Mikey wrote on 25-12-2022 :

The beats definition aleayd tricks me up, but than you for leaving a hyperlink for the article on that measure.

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BaloniusMonk wrote on 01-05-2022 :

Check out "Blue Rondo a la Turk" by Dave Brubeck for a different feel of this time signature. Just think taco, taco, taco, burrito. :)

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Gopen(Gopa)deysarkar wrote on 31-05-2021 :

9/8 is most commonly used to refer to a triple time signature with a triple subdivision where dotted quarter note gets the beat.So It is related to compoud meter where each beat is subdivided into three components, creating a one-two-three pulse and each bar comprises three dotted quarter notes to be counted as 1 2 3. In the event of compound time signature, the bottom number indicates the kind of note that corresponds to a single subdivision of the beat.In case of writing a compound meter such that each dotted quarter note corresponds to a beat, the eighth note is the subdivision of the beat and as a result, the number 8 will inevitably be the bottom number of the time signature. On the othe hand, 9/8 In a simple meter characterized by 9 beats in a measure where 8th note gets the beat with each beat divided in half. So 9/8 means there are nine eighth notes in each measure needs to be counted as 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9. In the simple time signature, the bottom number indicates the kind of note that is equal to a single beat. In case of writing a simple meter such that each eighth note corresponds to a beat, the bottom number of the time signature must be 8.

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