What does unmetered mean?

What does unmetered mean?

• A. The tempo is constant throughout the piece
• B. The tempo speeds up and slows down deliberately
• C. There is no steady tempo or discernible beat
• D. The tempo changes with every measure

Answer: (C)

Unmetered means there is no steady meter or regular beat guiding the music. Time isn’t organized into recurring measures with a predictable pulse, so the tempo can feel free or flexible and phrases may breathe without a fixed counting unit. This differs from music with a constant tempo, where a regular beat stays the same, or from music that changes tempo within a metered framework, or from music whose tempo shifts every measure but still relies on a regular meter. So the best description is that there is no steady tempo or discernible beat.

Unmetered means there is no steady meter or regular beat guiding the music. Time isn’t organized into recurring measures with a predictable pulse, so the tempo can feel free or flexible and phrases may breathe without a fixed counting unit. This differs from music with a constant tempo, where a regular beat stays the same, or from music that changes tempo within a metered framework, or from music whose tempo shifts every measure but still relies on a regular meter. So the best description is that there is no steady tempo or discernible beat.