Completing a bar in any time
Worked example: a bar of 6/4
- A bar of holds two dotted minims: 6 crotchet beats.
- The dotted minim takes 3.
- 3 are missing: one dotted minim fills the second beat.
Quick check
How many crotchet beats does a bar of hold?
Upbeats, recapped
A melody may start with an upbeat, a short first bar. The last bar is short by the same amount: the upbeat and the last bar together make one full bar.
Quick check
A tune in starts with a two-beat upbeat. How long, usually, is its last bar?
Remember
- Count in crotchets: 6/4 holds 6, 9/4 9, 4/2 8.
- Upbeat plus last bar: one full bar.
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