BEATING Time, in Music, a method of measuring and marking the time for performers in concert, by a motion of the hand and foot up or down successively and in equal times. Knowing the true time of a crotchet, and supposing the measure actually subdivided into four crotchets, and the half measure into two, the hand or foot being up, if we put it down with the very beginning of the first note or crotchet, and then raise it with the third, and then down with the beginning of the next measure; this is called beating the time; and, by practice, a habit is acquired of making this motion very equal. Each down and up is sometimes called a time or measure. The general rule is, to contrive the division of the measure so, that every down and up of the beating shall end with a particular note, on which very much depends the distinctness, and, as it were, the sense of the melody. Hence the beginning of every time or beating in the measure is reckoned the accented part thereof.
Beating time is denoted, in the Italian music, by the term à battuta, which is usually put after what they call recitative, where little or no time is observed, to denote, that here they are to begin again to mark or beat the time exactly.
The Romans aimed at somewhat of harmony in the strokes of their oars; and had an officer called portiscalus in each galley, whose business was to beat time to the rowers, sometimes by a pole or mallet, and sometimes by his voice alone.
The ancients marked the rhyme in their musical compositions; but to make it more observable in the practice, they beat the measure or time, and this in different manners. The most usual consisted in a motion of the foot, which was raised from, and struck alternately against, the ground, according to the modern method. Doing this was commonly the province of the master of the music, who was thence called μυσοχορος and χοροδιδασκαλος, because placed in the middle of the choir of musicians, and in an elevated situation, to be seen and heard more easily by the whole company. These beaters of measure were also called by the Greeks
Beating Greeks pedalukos and pedalukos, because of the noise of their feet; and pedalukos, because of the uniformity or monotony of the rhyme. The Latins denominated them pedarii, podarii, and pedicularii. To make the beats or strokes more audible, their feet were generally shod with a sort of sandals either of wood or iron, called by the Greeks κροταλαί, κροταλά, κροταλά, and by the Latins pedicula, scabella, or scabilla, because like to little stools or footstools. Sometimes they beat upon sonorous footstools, with the foot shod with a wooden or iron sole. They beat the measure not only with the foot, but also with the right hand, all the fingers whereof they joined together, to strike into the hollow of the left. He who thus marked the rhythm, was called manuductor. The ancients also beat time or measure with shells, as oyster shells and bones of animals, which they struck against one another, much as the moderns now use castanets, and the like instruments. This the Greeks called κροταλαί, as is noted by Hesychius. The scholiast on Aristo-phanes speaks much to the same purpose. Other noisy instruments, as drums, cymbals, citterns, &c. were also used on the same occasion. They beat the measure generally in two equal or unequal times; at least this holds of the usual rhythm of a piece of music, marked either by the noise of sandals, or the flapping of the hands. But the other rhythmic instruments last-mentioned, and which were used principally to excite and animate the dancers, marked the cadence after another manner; that is, the number of their percussions equalled, or even sometimes surpassed, that of the different sounds which composed the air or song played.