Rhythm and meter: musical time
● Rhythm
○ Controlled movement of music in time
● Beat
○ Regular pulsations, a basic unit of length in musical time
● Accent
○ Emphasis on a beat, resulting in it being louder
● Meter
○ Organization of rhythm in time
● Measure
○ Metric grouping of beats, notated on the musical staff with bar lines
● Bar lines
○ Vertical lines on a staff that separates measures or bars
● Downbeat
○ First beat of the measure; strongest in any meter
● Duple meter
○ Basic metrical pattern of 2 beats to a measure
● Triple meter
○ Basic metrical pattern of 3 beats to a measure
● Quadruple meter
○ Basic metrical pattern of 4 beats to a measure
● Simple meter
○ Meter in which the beat is divided into 2
● Compound meter
○ Meter in which each main beat subdivides into 3 rather than 2
● Sextuple meter
○ Compound metrical pattern of 6 upbeats
● Upbeat
○ Last beat of a measure, a weak beat that anticipates the downbeat
● Syncopation
○ Deliberate upsetting of the meter or pulse through a temporary
shifting of the accent to a weak beat or offbeat
● Offbeat
○ A weak beat or weak portion of a beat ● Polyrhythm
○ Simultaneous use of several rhythmic patterns or meters, common in
20th century music and african music
● Tonight : West side story
○ Upbeat, simple
● All music does not have a discernable beat
● An accented beat followed by 2 weak beats indicates triple meter
● Vivaldi, seasons, springs
○ Quadruple, upbeat with a strong beat on one
● Imperial march from the empire - duple
● Im most western music, each measure contains a fixed number of beats, and
the downbeat gets the strongest accent
● A strong, regular pulse does not create rhythmic complexity in music
● The number of beats in a measure determines which of the following ? meter
● Meters marked in measures organizes the music
● In triple meter, the accent is the first beat
● When a melody does not begin on the first beat, it is said to begin on an
upbeat