Metric Modulation
Changing metre and tempo by reinterpreting a shared note value as the new pulse
Related
Metric modulation changes metre and tempo by reinterpreting a shared note value: a dotted quarter from the old tempo becomes one beat of the new one, so the two pulses join in an exact ratio. The device is closely associated with Elliott Carter.
Unlike an accelerando or ritardando, the ratio is calculated, notated and can be performed precisely. The shared value works like a pivot chord, and a drum pattern or ostinato helps the ear catch the new pulse.
A change of time signature is not metric modulation. The new signature need not alter the speed of the beat; what matters is that the pulse itself is redefined. It also differs from rubato: rubato is flexible timing, while metric modulation is a structural exchange of proportions.
Sources
- 术语、比例换算与实例参 The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, "Metric modulation"；本文为原创表述
Used for fact-checking only; all prose is original.