Rhythm & Time Flashcards
Tempo
the speed at which music is performed
largo, adagio, andante, moderato, allegro, presto
o Largo: very slow; wide, broad
o Adagio: slow
o Andante: moderately slow; at a walking pace
o Moderato: at a moderate pace
o Allegro: fast; bright, cheerful
o Presto: very fast
Bpm
beats per minute
Measures tempo
Rubato
The tempo can also be flexible, at the discretion of the performer
Beat
A metrical pulse
Rhythm
The pattern of movement in time; the controlled movement of music in time
Note
a single tone of definite pitch; a notational symbol specifying a pitch of some duration
Rest
a span of time in which there is silence; a notational symbol specifying a silence of some duration
Phrase
a group of notes forming a distinct unit within a larger section
Swing rhythm
a rhythmic feel in which eighth notes are intentionally played unevenly to create both a feeling of ease and a sense of tension in the music
Commonly used in jazz
Arhythmic
Music which lacks any clearly discernible rhythms
Metre
the pattern in which a steady succession of rhythmic pulses is organized
Time signatures
the sign placed at the beginning of a piece of music to indicate its metre
Bar
a unit of musical time consisting of a fixed number of note-values of a given type, as determined by the prevailing metre; delineated in music notation with bar lines
duple metre, triple metre, quadruple metre, quintuple metre
o Duple metre: a metre in which the basic unit of pulse recurs in groups of two (2 beats/ bar)
o Triple metre: a metre in which the basic unit of pulse recurs in groups of three (3 beats/ bar)
o Quadruple metre: a metre in which the basic unit of pulse recurs in groups of four (4 beats/ bar)
o Quintuple metre: a metre in which the basic unit of pulse recurs in groups of five (5 beats/ bar)
Common time
4/4 is the most common metre, and is also called common time
Common time can be represented using the letter ‘C’ instead of 4/4
Accent
emphasis or stress placed on a musical note, chord, or other sound; notes on the downbeat are often played with an accent
Downbeat
the 1st and thus metrically strongest beat of a bar
Upbeat
one or several notes that occur before the downbeat of a piece or phrase
Also called a pickup or anacrusis
Backbeat
a sharp attack on beats 2 and 4 of a four-beat measure (i.e., in 4/4)
Syncopation
A momentary contradiction of the metre or pulse
o The insertion of a note, chord, or other sound placed ‘off the beat’ or on a weak beat
o Propels the music forward; it helps build momentum
o Uses accents to contrast the surrounding texture
Mixed metre
the changing of metres within a piece of music
Ametric
music which lacks metre
