It sounds strange at first, but there are two ones in a piece of music. The first is the central note of the key (also known as do, or more formally the tonic), and the other is the first note of the repeated pattern that sets the piece's meter. Being able to identify both allows a listener to hear much more deeply into the music. Today, we'll discuss the second of the above: the meter. It is useful to learn a few fundamentals of conducting to assist in this process.

There are three main types of conducting pattern - in two, in three, and in four. (The rest are essentially combinations of these three.) The pattern for conducting in two is the simplest: 1. down 2. up. (This is where the term downbeat comes from, by the way.) To conduct in three requires a right triangle shape: 1. down 2. right 3. up. And finally, in four is shaped like a plus-sign: 1. down 2. left 3. right 4. up. That's all you need to get started.

OK, first of all, nearly all rock is in 4/4 time, so let's use a straightforward but interesting example: "Satisfaction" by The Stones. The drum is played on all four beats, so it's very clear. But notice the extra beat between 3 and 4. It's a wonderful touch because it gives the song a unique rhythm, but without clutter. And a good example to use for 3/4 is Jerry Jeff Walker's "Mr. Bojangles". 2/4 is rare in popular music, but nearly all marches (as you might expect) and polkas use it. Try "Egyptian March" and "Tritsch-Trastch Polka", both by Johann Strauss II. More on this tomorrow.