Questions about meter

[indm]

I'm learning from a theory book I recently purchased, and I'm now studying meter. I'm having some problems understanding a few things though. In the workbook it asks me to clarify some measures of music by correcting the notation, and there are three examples which I can't figure out; my mind just goes blank.

The first is in 9/8 and shows a semibreve tied to a quaver. No idea how to change this one.

The second is a measure in 3/4, with two quavers beamed together, followed by another quaver tied to a dotted crotchet. To me this seems fine (and it is, in theory?), but the book wants me to correct it.

The last is in 4/4. Two sixteenths + a quaver beamed together, and then two sixteenths + two quavers beamed together, and then one quaver followed by a whole rest.

Can someone explain how to rewrite these, and the method behind it? I've reread the parts in the book that explain meter, dots, and ties, but I'm still at a loss with what it wants me to do.

[stevebob]

(1)  9/8 is a compound triple meter; there are three beats per bar, each of which is a dotted quaver.  The notes in your workbook represent the total value of 9 quavers, but they are organized incorrectly (i.e., in a way that's incompatible with 9/8 meter as I described it).  If one note lasts the duration of the measure (as in your workbook example), it should instead be represented by a dotted crotchet tied to a dotted crotchet tied to yet another dotted crotchet.  (I think that's right, anyway; 9/8 is a fairly uncommon time signature).

(2)  The notes in the workbook represent a total value of six quavers, but again they are organized improperly for 3/4 (which is simple triple time).  For the first beat, the two beamed quavers are fine; the note with the duration of the second and third beats needs to be a minim instead of a quaver tied to a dotted crotchet.

(3)  This doesn't add up, unless the whole rest at the end of the measure is actually a crotchet rest.  If that's the case, then the notes comprising the four beats of the measure in your example should be represented as two semiquavers and a quaver (beamed together); two semiquavers and a quaver (beamed together); two quavers (beamed together); and, finally, the crotchet rest.

The principle in all cases is that the notes (and their subdivisions) have to be written in a way that reflects the time signature.  Consider 6/8 time, and the reason why it cannot be notated with three consecutive crotchets (or their subdivisions, e.g., two beamed quavers + two beamed quavers + two beamed quavers) even though they do add up correctly.  That's because 6/8 by definition is (like any time signature with a multiple of three for its numerator) is a compound meter with two beats per measure, not three.  Each beat must be notated as a dotted crotchet (or the applicable subdivisions, e.g., three beamed quavers + three beamed quavers).

[indm]

Thank you for your help!

For (1), would it be possible to tie three dotted crotchet notes? I understand that two tied dotted quavers 3 times would work, but wouldn't three tied dotted quarter notes be easier to understand?

(2) makes sense now. I'm still having trouble recognizing and substituting the value of tied notes.

In (3), the whole rest IS actually a crotchet rest, yes. My mistake.

[stevebob]

For (1), would it be possible to tie three dotted crotchet notes?

Yes, that's exactly right.  I confused the terminology originally, and I've corrected my earlier post.