Chapter 2 - Simple Meters Flashcards
Alla Breve
Allows the quickened moving pitches to be notated as eighths rather than sixteenths
Anacrusis
Occurs when a melody starts just before the 1st downbeat in a meter; also called an upbeat or pick-up
Bar Line
A vertical line that indicates the end of a measure
Beam
A horizontal or diagonal line used to connect multiple consecutive notes to indicate rhythmic grouping
Beat
The primary pulse in musical meter
Common Time
4/4 conducting pattern
Cut Time
2/2 conducting pattern
Dot
Rhythmic notation that adds to a note half its own value
Downbeat
Beat 1 of a metrical pattern
Flag
Wavy line attached to the stem of a note
Hemiola
A temporary duple rhythmic grouping in the context of an underlying triple meter; a temporary two-part division of the beat in the context of an underlying three-part division
Hypermeter
A high-level metric grouping that interprets groups of measures as though they were grouping of beats within a single measure
Measure
A unit of music grouped by beats; generally, a measure begins and ends with notated bar lines
Meter
A hierarchical arrangement of beats and their divisions that repeat from measure to measure and are perceived as relatively strong and weak. The first beat of each measure is perceived as the strongest.
Simple Meter
Meter in which the beat divides into twos and subdivides into fours. The top number of the meter signature will be 2, 3 , or 4.
Compound Meter
Meter in which the beat divides into threes in subdivides into sixes. The top number of compound meter signatures is 6, 9, or 12.
Simple Duple
Any meter with two beats in a measure, with each beat divided into two
Simple Quadruple
Any meter with four beats in a measure, with each beat divided into two
Simple Triple
Any meter with three beats in a measure, with each beat divided into two
Meter Signature
A sign that appears at the beginning of a piece, after the clef and key signature: the upper number indicates a meter type and the lower number indicates which note gets the beat; also called a time signature
Metric Accent
The pattern of strong and weak beats based on the “weight” of the downbeat in the “lift” of the upbeat
Note Head
The oval part of a note
Rest
A duration of silence
Rhythm
The patterns made by the durations of pitch and silence in a piece
Rhythmic Value
The duration of a note or rest
Eighth Note
A stemmed black note head with one flag
Half Note
A stemmed white note head
Quarter Note
A stemmed black note head
Sixteenth Note
A stemmed black note head with two flags
Whole Note
A stemless open note head
Slur
An arc that connects two or more different pitches
Stem
Thin, vertical line that is directly connected to the note head
Syncopation
Off-beat rhythmic accents created by dots, ties, rests, dynamic markings, or accent marks
Tempo
How fast or slow the music is played
Tie
A small arc connecting the note heads of two identical pitches, adding the durations of the notes together
Time Signature
Another term for meters signature
Upbeat
Occurs when a melody starts just before the first strong beat in a meter; named for the upward lift of the conductors hand. Another word for anacrusis.
