1. Rhythm and Meter
Time in Music

2. Rhythm: Musical Time
• Rhythm, used in its most general sense, means
anything and all things associated with time in
music.
• Rhythm is also used specifically, to refers to
the length or duration of individual notes.
• Beat - Regular pulsations
• Accent - Beats that are stronger that others.

3. Meter
• The most common groupings are 2, 3, and 4.
• The pattern (gesture) of the conductor shows
the relative accent of the groupings.
• The strongest beat of each grouping is
referred to as the downbeat in both duple and
triple meters.

5. Duple Meter
The Hogwarts March
ONE two . ONE two . ONE two . ONE two

6. Duple Meter
• By far the most common meter
• Found in two forms
• Duple 2
• And Duple 4
• In either event, the meter may properly
be identified as duple.

7. Triple Meter
• Three pulses per grouping
• Strongest accent is on one, the first accent
(beat) of the grouping.
• STRONG.weak.weak . STRONG weak.weak
STRONG.weak.weak . STRONG.weak.weak

8. Meter: Triple Meter
The Potter Waltz
STRONG.weak.weak . STRONG.weak.weak .
STRONG.weak.weak . STRONG.weak.weak

9. Non-metric Meter
• Sounds like a contradiction in terms. If meter
refers to a pattern of pulses, how can something be
non-metric?
• Non-metric refers to an absence of regular rhythm
and meter. That is, the regulated duration of notes
and the absence of accents.
• Gregorian chant, used in the Catholic Church and
chant used in some other denominations, is
non-metric.
• In chant, the rhythmic movement is based on the
natural accents and flow of the language.

10. Non-metric
Responsorium “Subvente”
• Try to find or beat or accent, by using some
movement such as tapping your foot or moving
your pencil in time.
• This is a particularly useful effort.
• By doing this, you will have a better sense of the
presence or absence of regular accent--this will
help you identify the examples with meter.

11. Disruption of Meter
• Composers often vary meter by changing
the meter unexpectedly and introducing
accents that fall outside of the expected
accents in the meter that has been in use.
• The displacement of accent is known as
syncopation.
• It adds variety by giving a sense of novelty
and occasionally surprise.

12. Syncopation
• For example, the regular grouping of triple meter is:
• STRONG.weak.weak . STRONG.weak.weak.
• A syncopated pattern shifts the beat to an accent on a
beat not usually accented.
• weak.STRONG.weak . weak.STRONG.weak
• The pattern could also be irregular:
• STRONG.weak.weak . weak.STRONG.weak .
weak.weak.STRONG . STRONG.weak.weak

13. Syncopation
Jazz Suite: Jazz Waltz
Listen for the frequent shift of the accent to
the second beat of the groupings of three.
Beat the pattern of three in the air (literally)
or, at the least, tap your foot.
It is difficult to hear syncopation unless you
have a firm sense of the regular placement of
the accents.

14. Irregular Syncopation
Accents seem almost capricious.
Difficult to identify the basic meter.
Igor Stravinsky
Rite of Spring
“Dance of the Adolescents”

15. And the Meter Is?

16. The Meter is Triple
The Bittersweet Waltz
Strong.weak.weak . Strong.weak.weak
Strong.weak.weak . STRONG.weak.weak
Also Counted in numbers:
One.two.three . ONE.two.three.
ONE.two.three . ONE.two.three

17. And the Meter Is?

18. The Meter is Non-metric
Psalm 94. Venite exsultemus Domino
You cannot find any sense or regular sense of
accentuation
You cannot discern a steady flow of the duration
of individual notes.

19. And the Meter Is?

20. The Meter is Duple
• Strong down beats
• Accents strongly marked by percussion on downbeat.
STRONG.weak . STRONG.weak .STRONG.weak

21. And the Meter Is?

22. The Meter is Triple
Still Crazy After All These Years
The Miami Saxophone Quartet
ONE.two.three . ONE.two.three . ONE.two.three

23. And the Meter is?

24. The Meter is Duple
W. A. Mozart: Eine kleine
Nachtmusic, Rondo
• Beats are accented on one, but more subtly than in
earlier examples
ONE.two . ONE.two . ONE.two . ONE.two