AoS1 - Rhythm and Metre
This is all about beats, timing and sound patterns. A metre is a regular pattern of beats indicated by a time signature. A rhythm is the way different lengths of sound are combined to produce patterns in time.
You will need to learn the following terms and be able to recognise them, or comment on their use in short musical extracts:
You will need to learn the following terms and be able to recognise them, or comment on their use in short musical extracts:
- pulse
- simple and compound time
- regular, irregular and free rhythms
- augmentation, diminution, hemiola, cross-rhythm
- dotted rhythms, triplets, syncopation
- tempo, rubato
- polyrhythm, bi-rhythm
- drum fill
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Duple Time |
Triple Time |
Free Time |
AOS1 - Key Words
Rhythm is the way different lengths of sound are combined to produce patterns.
Metre is a regular pattern of beats indicated by a time signature.
Pulse is the beat of the music. It’s what you tap your feet to! The rhythms can vary the pulse or beat will be steady (like your pulse – hopefully!)
Tempo is the speed of the music, and in particular the speed the pulse of the music is beating.
Largo –very slow tempo
Adagio– slow tempo
Andante– at a walking pace (Medium-slow)
Moderato– A medium tempo / moderate tempo
Allegro– Fast tempo
Vivace– Fast and lively tempo.
Presto– Very fast tempo
Accelerando– to get faster.
Rallentando(Rall.)/Ritardando(Rit.)– Slowing down the tempo.
Rubato – flexible tempo
Simple time each beat is divided into two equal parts.
Compound time each beat is divided into 3 equal parts.
Triplet is 3 notes (or rests), all the same length, squeezed into the time of two.
Syncopation –when the weak (off beats) beats of the bar are accented.
Regular metre – a time signature where all the beats are the same length.
Irregular metre – a time signature where the beats are grouped together unevenly (5 or 7 beats per bar). Will have a lopsided feel and may not sound western.
Free metre -Where the music has no definite pulse or metre.
Drum fill – short drum solo in between sections of a piece.
Metre is a regular pattern of beats indicated by a time signature.
Pulse is the beat of the music. It’s what you tap your feet to! The rhythms can vary the pulse or beat will be steady (like your pulse – hopefully!)
Tempo is the speed of the music, and in particular the speed the pulse of the music is beating.
Largo –very slow tempo
Adagio– slow tempo
Andante– at a walking pace (Medium-slow)
Moderato– A medium tempo / moderate tempo
Allegro– Fast tempo
Vivace– Fast and lively tempo.
Presto– Very fast tempo
Accelerando– to get faster.
Rallentando(Rall.)/Ritardando(Rit.)– Slowing down the tempo.
Rubato – flexible tempo
Simple time each beat is divided into two equal parts.
Compound time each beat is divided into 3 equal parts.
Triplet is 3 notes (or rests), all the same length, squeezed into the time of two.
Syncopation –when the weak (off beats) beats of the bar are accented.
Regular metre – a time signature where all the beats are the same length.
Irregular metre – a time signature where the beats are grouped together unevenly (5 or 7 beats per bar). Will have a lopsided feel and may not sound western.
Free metre -Where the music has no definite pulse or metre.
Drum fill – short drum solo in between sections of a piece.
