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    A World of Rhythms

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    Agostef
    The document discusses the concept of rhythm in music. It explains that music has a regular pulse called the beat, and that beats are grouped into measures. It describes the different note values and how they relate to the time signature and number of beats in a measure. It also defines the components of written notes like the note head, stem, and flag.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    A World of Rhythms

    Uploaded by

    Agostef
    247 views6 pages
    The document discusses the concept of rhythm in music. It explains that music has a regular pulse called the beat, and that beats are grouped into measures. It describes the different note values and how they relate to the time signature and number of beats in a measure. It also defines the components of written notes like the note head, stem, and flag.

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    Rhythms

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    The document discusses the concept of rhythm in music. It explains that music has a regular pulse called the beat, and that beats are grouped into measures. It describes the different note values and how they relate to the time signature and number of beats in a measure. It also defines the components of written notes like the note head, stem, and flag.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    247 views6 pages

    A World of Rhythms

    Uploaded by

    Agostef
    The document discusses the concept of rhythm in music. It explains that music has a regular pulse called the beat, and that beats are grouped into measures. It describes the different note values and how they relate to the time signature and number of beats in a measure. It also defines the components of written notes like the note head, stem, and flag.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    At a glance
    Powered by AI
    The key takeaways are that rhythm is the regular pulse or beat in music, and it is what sets the tempo and allows for dancing and head nodding. Different musical pieces have different rhythms depending on factors like the time signature and tempo.

    Rhythm in music refers to the strong and weak patterns of long and short sounds that occur over time. It is what sets the tempo and provides the pulse or beat that music is based around.

    The main components of a musical note are the head, stem, and flag. The head is the round part, the stem extends from the head, and the flag is the curved or straight line at the end of the stem.

    A world of rhythms

    There is music wherever there is rhythm, as there is life wherever there beats a pulse.
    - Igor Stravinsky

    1. A few words on rhythm


    Everything around you has a rhythm to it, from birds to automobiles to babies, and
    that includes you. But where do you get your rhythm? Your own heartbeat is a good
    inspiration. For trees its the slow rhythm of the seasons. Finally they start blossoming
    again. For water its the tidal rhythm, for the day fly the whole life is over within a day.
    Music needs rhythm, no doubt about it. The beat of nearly any piece of music is
    easy to feel. Its what sets your toe tapping, its what makes you dance. The beat is a
    regular pulse, like your heartbeat, which lasts throughout a piece of music.
    Speaking of pulse, did you know that music with a fast beat makes your heart beat
    faster and speeds up your breathing whereas music with a slow beat makes your heart
    and breathing slow down? Its true. The beat is musics pulse, and like yours, it doesnt
    stop until the performance is over.
    So counting out a beat is exactly where well have to start with music. Without a
    discernible rhythm, there will be no order to music and nothing to dance to or nod our
    heads to. Although all the other parts of music (pitch, melody, harmony) are pretty
    important, without rhythm, you dont really have a song. Thats why rhythm is where well
    need to start in this course.

    ETUDE DU BATTEMENT (ou Temps) ET DU RYTHME

    Beats
    and
    bars consiste trouver la pulsation (temps ou batteLa premire chose 2.
    faire,
    pour lire
    un rythme,
    ment). La pulsation, en musique, est constante, comme les battements de votre coeur ou le tic-tac
    dune horloge. Le rythmeMusic
    dun morceau
    de musique
    est bas
    une unit deregular
    temps quipulses
    sentend(Pulsationen)
    et
    moves
    to a series
    ofsur
    repeating,
    that divide
    se sent. Lorsque, en coutant de la musique anime, vous vous mettez taper du pied en rythme,
    into equal lengths. Each pulsation is also called a beat (Grundschlag). The beat
    cest que vous ressentez cette unit de temps et que vous la marquez du pied. Ce battement peut
    your heartbeat,
    which
    lasts
    throughout
    a piece of music.
    tre reprsent regular
    au moyen pulse,
    de notes like
    de musique
    places intervalles
    gaux,
    comme
    ceci:

    time
    is a

    | | | | | | | | | | | |

    *1 Frappez ces pulsations (temps ou battements) sur une table ou sur vos genoux. Frappez une fois
    pour chaque note.

    ETUDE DU BATTEMENT (ou Temps) ET DU RYTHME

    La premire chose faire, pour lire un rythme, consiste trouver la pulsation (temps ou batteIn written
    music, these
    are grouped
    into
    or bars (Takte), which at
    ment). La pulsation, en musique,
    est constante,
    comme beats
    les battements
    de votre coeur
    ou measures
    le tic-tac
    dune horloge. their
    Le rythme
    morceau
    de musique
    sur une
    unit de temps
    qui sentend
    turndun
    are
    separated
    by est
    barbas
    lines
    (Taktstriche).
    The
    doubleetbar line marks the end of a
    se sent. Lorsque, en coutant de la musique anime, vous vous mettez taper du pied en rythme,
    section, or the end of a song. It has a regular-sized line in addition to a thicker line close
    cest que vous ressentez cette unit de temps et que vous la marquez du pied. Ce battement peut
    by to the right:
    tre reprsent au moyen de notes de musique places intervalles gaux, comme ceci:

    | | | | | | | | | | | |

    *1 Frappez ces pulsations (temps ou battements)


    sur une table ou sur vos genoux. Frappez
    fois
    bar
    barune
    line
    pour chaque note.

    double bar line

    3. Time signature
    In printed music, right after the clef at the beginning of the staff, youll see a pair of
    numbers, one written over the other.

    * Les chiffres encadrs correspondent aux sections du CD. Chaque exemple commence par une
    mesure de claquements rythmiques.

    The pair of numbers is called the time signature (Taktart) and it tells you two things:
    1. The top number tells you how many beats will be in each bar. So, in the examples
    above, in 4/4 time, there will be 4 beats in each measure; in 3/4 time there will be three
    beats in each measure, and in 2/4 time there will be two beats in each measure.
    2. The bottom number tells you which note gets one beat. Remember fractions? Another
    way of saying 1/4 is one quarter. And so:
    -> with a 4 in the bottom of the time signature, you know that the quarter note
    receives one beat.
    -> with a 8 in the bottom of the time signature, you know that the eighth note
    receives one beat.
    -> with a 2 in the bottom of the time signature, you know that the half note receives
    one beat.

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    4. The anatomy of a note

    Page 18

    Part I: Rhythm: Keeping the Beat


    18
    Notes are made up of three specific components: the note head (Notenkopf), the
    stem (Notenhals), and the flag. Every note has a head. Its the round part of a note. A note
    stem is the vertical
    Figureline
    2-2: attached to the note head. A note flag is the little line that comes
    off the top or bottom
    of the
    note stem:
    EveryPart
    note
    I: Rhythm:
    Keeping the Beat

    18has a head.

    An eighth
    note (the
    Figure 2-2:
    third one
    Every note
    shown here)
    has a head.
    has all three
    An eighth
    possible
    note (the
    components
    third one
    shown
    of a note: here)
    has all three
    the head,
    possible
    The
    note head / Der
    the stem,
    components
    and theNotenkopf
    flag.
    of a note:

    The stem /
    Der Notenhals

    The flag

    the head,
    the stem,
    and the By
    flag.the

    way, stems can point either up or down, depending where on the staff
    they appear (pointing up or down makes no difference in the value of the
    By the way, stemsnote
    canpoint
    either
    upout
    orall
    down,
    where
    and youll
    find
    aboutdepending
    staffs in Chapter
    7).they
    Only appear.
    eighth notes
    By the way, stems can point either up or down, depending where on the staff
    and no
    smaller
    notes
    have
    flags.
    Quarter
    notes
    and
    half
    notes
    have
    Pointing up or down makes
    difference
    in
    the
    value
    of
    the
    note.
    Only
    eighth
    notes
    and but no
    they appear (pointing up or down makes no difference in the value of stems
    the
    flags.note
    Whole
    notes
    have
    neither
    stems
    nor
    flags.
    and youll find out all about staffs in Chapter 7). Only eighth notes

    smaller notes have flags. Quarter notes and half notes have stems but no flags. Whole
    and smaller notes have flags. Quarter notes and half notes have stems but no
    notes have neither stemsInstead
    nor flags.
    flags.
    neither
    stems
    nor flags.
    ofWhole
    each notes
    note have
    getting
    a flag,
    though,
    notes with flags can also be con-

    nected to each other with a beam (sometimes called a ligature), which is


    Instead of each note getting a flag, though, notes with flags can also be conreally
    just another, more organized-looking incarnation of the flag. For examnected to each other with a beam (sometimes called a ligature), which is
    ple, Figure
    2-3another,
    shows more
    how organized-looking
    two eighth notes
    can be written
    as each
    having a
    really just
    incarnation
    of the
    flag.
    For examInstead of each note
    getting
    a
    flag,
    though,
    notes
    with
    flags
    can
    also
    be
    connected
    flag, ple,
    or as
    connected
    byhow
    a beam.
    Figure
    2-3 shows
    two eighth notes can be written as each having a

    to each other with a beam (sometimes


    called abyligature),
    flag, or as connected
    a beam. which is really just another, more
    organized-looking incarnation of the flag:

    j j jj

    Figure 2-3:
    Figure 2-3:
    Eighth notes
    Eighth notes
    can becan be
    connected
    connected
    together
    together
    with beams
    with beams
    of
    insteadinstead
    of
    having
    having
    individual
    individual flags.
    flags.

    ==

    The beam

    5. Note values

    In music the official reason for notes is to explain exactly how long a specific pitch
    should be held by the voice or instrument.
    Each note comes with its own value. The value of a half note is half that of a whole note,
    the value of a quarter note is a quarter that of a whole note, and so on. Each level of the
    tree of notes is equal to the others:

    Whole

    Half

    Quarter

    Eighth

    Sixteenth

    Another way to think of notes that you may find helpful is to imagine a whole note
    as a pie, which is easy because it is round. To divide up the pie into quarter notes, cut it
    in quarters. Cutting the pie into eight pieces gives you eighth notes, and so on.

    Treble Clef

    Bass Clef

    Depending on the time signature of the piece of music, the number of beats per
    note varies. In the most
    time signature,
    4/4 time,
    Alsocommon
    called G-clef,
    Also called
    F-clef,also called common time, a
    whole note is held for
    four
    beats,
    a
    half
    note
    is
    held
    for
    two, and a quarter note lasts one
    this is the top hand
    this is the bottom
    beat. An eighth note
    lasts
    half a beatorand a sixteenth
    note
    justora quarter of a beat in 4/4
    clef
    for instruments
    hand clef for
    notes
    time.
    notes of higher pitch.
    instruments of lower
    pitch.

    Study guide - rhythms

    1. What is the beat in music?


    2. What is a bar line used for?
    3. Where is a double bar line used?
    4. What is the time signature in music?
    5. What does the top number of the time signature give us?
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    Page 17

    6. What does the lower number of the time signature give us?
    7. Name the three elements that form a note!

    Chapter 2: Counting Out Notes

    8. Mark the missing symbols of the rhythm tree:


    Figure 2-1:
    Each level
    of this tree
    of notes
    lasts as
    many beats
    as every
    other level.
    At the top is
    the whole
    note, below
    that half
    notes, then
    quarter
    notes,
    eighth
    notes, and
    finally
    sixteenth
    notes on the
    bottom.

    j j j j j j j j

    r r r rr rr r r r r r r r r r

    Another way to think of notes that you may find helpful is to imagine a whole
    note as a pie, which is easy because it is round. To divvy up the pie into quarter notes, cut it in quarters. Cutting the pie into eight pieces gives you eighth
    notes, and so on.
    Depending on the time signature of the piece of music (see Chapter 4), the
    number of beats per note varies. In the most common time signature, 4/4
    time, also called common time, a whole note is held for four beats, a half note
    is held for two, and a quarter note lasts one beat. An eighth note lasts half a
    beat and a sixteenth note just a quarter of a beat in 4/4 time.
    Often, the quarter note equals one beat. If you sing, MA-RY HAD A LIT-TLE

    17

    Revision exercise

    Mark the name and the length in beats of each note value in the right box. The time
    signature is 4/4.

    Whole Note
    Half Note
    Quarter Note
    Eighth Note
    Sixteenth Note
    Whole Rest
    Half Rest
    Quarter Rest
    Eighth Rest
    Sixteenth Rest

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