triple time
1
6.6
- noun
- /ˈtrɪpəl taɪm/
- Specialized
:
compás de tres
- Next say, "Now I've got to think," in triple time (see figure 1).
Examples
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During our music class, we learned to play the waltz, which is often in triple time.
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The song has a lively rhythm with a triple time signature that makes you want to dance.
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My heart throbbed in triple time as I held my breath.
Fiction book (1995) -
We're on triple time.
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- Triple time.
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Understanding triple time is essential for playing pieces that have a 3/4 rhythm.
Antonyms
How Complex
648
5.6
27
3.5
- Specialized
- Specialized
1
6.6
- Specialized
1
5.2
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun phrase combines 'triple' (threefold) with 'time' (metrical pattern), so its meaning 'a musical meter with three beats per bar' is directly and compositionally derived from the constituents. This adjective+noun construction and the concept of triple meter are cross-linguistically common in music terminology, so a B1 learner who knows both words should be able to infer the meaning.
Etymology
The musical term triple time comes from the idea that triple means three and time means the beat in music. Imagine a waltz where you count 'one-two-three' again and again. That's why triple time means 'three beats in each bar'.