AP Music TheoryElements: Rhythm

Rhythm General term used to refer to the aspect

of music Durational Symbols: Breve – Double Whole Note/rest – 8 cts Whole note/rest – 4 cts Quarter note/rest – 1 ct Eighth note/rest – ½ ct Sixteenth note/rest – ¼ ct

Symbols

Rhythm Tree

Ties A tie connects two notesof the same

pitch creating a new duration equal to the sum of both notes

Dots A dot adds ½ the value of the note to

the note itself.

Beat and Tempo Beat – Basic Pulse of a musical passage Tempo – the rate at which the beats

occur Italian Terms – gives relative description

of the tempo M.M. – Maelzel’s Metronome – precise

beats in one minute

Meter The Pattern of Beats Measure – groups of beats indicated by the

bar line Number of beats in a measure is indicated

by these terms Duple – 2 Triple – 3 Quadruple – 4

Metric Accents – pattern of stresses found in a meter

Division of the Beat

Simple – beats divided into 2 equal parts

Compound – beats divided into 3 equal parts

Simple Time Signatures Time signatures – tells the performer

two things How many beats are in a measure What note value represents the beat

2 = half note 4 = quarter note 8 = eighth note 16 = sixteenth note

Compound Meter Division of the beat

Dotted half note = 3 quarter notes Dotted quarter note = 3 eighth notes Dotted eighth note = 3 16th notes Dotted sixteenth note = 3 32nd notes

Compound Meter Signatures

Tells the performer the number if divisions

Tells the performer what the division duration is

Summary of Meters Two types of Beat – Simple and

Compound Three Common Meters – duple, triple

and quadruple Any number representing a note value

can be used for any meter You must look at the music to know

exactly what it is

Meters Chart

More on Durational Symbols When rhythms are notated, it is

customary to use rests, beams, ties and dots in such a way that the metric accent and the individual beats are emphasized rather than observed

Syncopation Rhythm figures that stress normally

weak beats or divisions

Grouplets Division of an undotted value into some number

of equal parts other than 2, 4, or 8

Beams Used to connect durations shorter than

a quarter note

Rule for above or below: Decided based on the note that is the

furthest from the middle line

Stems General rules

Middle line and above – stem goes down on left side of the note

Below the middle line – stem goes up on right side of note head