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What if there are chord changes within the same measure?
When one measure consists of multiple chords, they are separated with either:
| Separator | Name | 4/4 time signature | 3/4 time signature |
|---|---|---|---|
- |
Half/half, the most common separator | 2 strokes each | 3 strokes each |
< |
First less strokes, then more strokes | 1 stroke and then 3 strokes | 1 stroke and then 2 strokes |
> |
First more strokes, then less strokes | 3 strokes and then 1 stroke | 2 strokes and then 1 stroke |
For instance:
| Separator | 4/4 time signature | 3/4 time signature |
|---|---|---|
- |
Dm-F means: 2 Dm strokes and 2 F strokes |
C-G means: 3 C strokes and 3 G strokes |
< |
D#<A# means: 1 D# stroke and 3 A# strokes |
Dm-Gm means: 1 Dm stroke and 2 Gm strokes |
> |
A#>G# means: 3 A# strokes and 1 G# stroke |
G>F means: 2 G strokes and 1 F stroke |
Tip
A easy way to to remember the meaning of < and > is they use the lower than and greater than symbols. For instance:
Cm<Fmmeans there are lessCmstrokes thanFmstrokesD#>A#means there are moreD#strokes thanA#strokes
Show me more examples please!
Here are a few examples in 4/4 time signature:
Am C G D-Gmeans:- 4
Amstrokes - Followed by 4
Cstrokes - Followed by 4
Gstrokes - Followed by 2
Dstrokes and 2Gstrokes
- 4
D#>A# A# G#>D# D#means:- 3
D#strokes and 1A#stroke - Followed by 4
A#strokes - Followed by 3
G#strokes and 1D#stroke - Followed by 4
D#strokes
- 3
Cm<Fm Cm<Fmmeans:- 1
Cmstroke and 3Fmstrokes - Followed by 1
Cmstroke and 3Fmstrokes
- 1
B>C#-G#means 1Bstroke, 1C#stroke and 2G#strokesD#-F#>G#means 2BD#strokes, 1F#stroke and 1G#strokeEm>C>D>Cmeans 1Emstroke, 1Cstroke, 1Dstroke and 1Cstroke
Note
In examples n°4 and n°5, since the measure is already cut in half, it wouldn’t make any difference if the quarters were separated by < or by >.