Rhythm and Meter

1. Basic Elements of
Muisic
Rhythm and Meter

2. Steady Beat
Steady beat – the pulse of music.
Tap to the steady beat in the following excerpts.
http://magnatune.com/artists/albums/lara-bach/
http://magnatune.com/artists/albums/streicher-klaviertrios/
You will notice that some notes are equal to the steady beat,
some are longer, and some are shorter.

3. Durations of Notes
Quarter Note – q lasts for one steady beat
Eighth Note – e two eighth notes are equal to one steady beat
Sixteenth Note – xfour sixteenth notes are equal to one
steady beat
Half Note – h lasts for two steady beats
Whole Note – w four steady beats long
http://www.musictheory.net/lessons/11

4. Rhythmical exercise: tap your foot and clap your hands twice faster than a foot tap.
You will clap two eighth notes (ee) per one quarter (q) foot tap.
Experiment with various note durations.
1 2 3 4
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a
1 2 3 4
1 2 3 4

5. Durations of Rests
Quarter Rest – lasts for one steady beat
Eighth Rest – two eighth rests equal to one steady beat
Sixteenth Rest – four sixteenth rests equal to one steady
beat
Half Rest – lasts for two steady beats
Whole Rest – four steady beats long
Rests identify measured segments of silence in music.

6. Rhythm
Rhythm – a pattern of durations of notes synchronized with the steady
beat.
Clap the following examples:
q q q q
iq q iq q
h q q

7. Meter
Arrangement of rhythms in a repetitive pattern of strong and
weak beats.
Meters can be classified by counting the number of beats from
one strong beat to the next.

8. Simple Meters
Duple – strong-weak.
q q
Triple – strong-weak-weak.
q q q
Quadruple – strong-weak- weak-weak
q q q q

9. Measure
Measure – a segment of time defined by a given number of
beats.
Bar lines – vertical lines that separate measures.
The first beat in each measure is always strong.
q q q q q q
Example above can be represented by 2/4 time signature, in
which 2 means that there are two beats in each measure and
4 stands for the value of one beat - 1/4 or a quarter note.
Time signature can be considered as a fraction.

10. Clap the following excerpts:
q q h iiiq
q q q iq q iq
q q h q q q iq
2
4
3
4
4
4

11. Clap the following. What are the time signatures?
q q h iiiq jjjq q
q q q iq q iq h q
q q h q q q iq w

12. Bar Lines

13. Time Signatures
3 – three steady beats in each
measure
8 – each beat is equal to an e

14. Common Time Signatures
(Meters)
• Top numeral indicates how many
beats are in each measure.
• Lower numeral indicates the note
value that represents one beat.

15. Simple Meters
Simple meters – each beat is divided into halves.
• 2/4, 2/2, 4/4, 4/8, ¾
Listen to the 1st Movement of Haydn’s “Farewell” Symphony tapping to the
steady beat. The beat can easily be divided onto two eighth notes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXctarOxRz8

16. Compound Meters
Compound meters – each beat is divided into thirds.
• 6/8, 6/4, 9/8, 12/8
Listen to the final movement of Corelli’s “Christmas Concerto” and tap to its
slow steady beat.
Each beat can easily be split onto three equal portions.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Zs6_vsU9cg

17. Conducting
Conductors use hand patterns to communicate meters (time
signatures).
This helps musicians to follow and play together.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79Pk-33R2HM

18. Duple Meter
2/4, 2/2, or fast
6/8 time

19. Triple Meter
3/4 or 3/2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjj84gcuMEw
R. Wagner, Tannhauser Overture

20. Quadruple Meter
4/4, 4/2, or 4/8
Does Gustavo Dudamel (the conductor) always draw the 4/4 pattern?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eo1KHr-b-CA

21. 6/8 Time Signature, Slow

22. Syncopation
A disruption of the regular flow of rhythm, a replacement of
stresses to where they would not occur.
Please study the following.
https://www.teoria.com/reference/s/syncopation.php?l=S

23. Listening Activity
Listen to and conduct to the samples on this page.
http://www.gmajormusictheory.org/Listening/meters/meters.ht
ml

24. Required Readings
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_signature
• http://www.musictheory.net/lessons - read Note
Duration and Measures and Time Signature in the
Basics area
• http://www.musictheory.net/lessons/15