Aural Skills: Duration, Tempo, Metre & Rhythm

Twenty question-and-answer flashcards covering key terms and concepts related to duration, tempo, metre, and rhythm from the lecture notes.

What musical element refers to the speed at which the beat occurs?

Tempo

How is a beat described when it is strong and clearly felt?

Definite (strong) beat

Which metre groups beats in twos?

Duple metre

Which metre groups beats in threes?

Triple metre

What is the most common simple quadruple time signature?

4/4

Which compound duple time signature contains six quaver pulses per bar?

6/8 (compound duple metre)

What do we call the practice of alternating different time signatures within a piece?

Mixed metre

What term describes music with no consistent pulse or bar lines?

Absence of metre / free rhythm

What is the term for a gradual increase in tempo?

Accelerando (getting faster)

Which rhythmic device places accents on weak beats or off-beats?

Syncopation

What rhythmic effect groups three beats against two, creating cross-accentuation?

Hemiola

What is the term for a continually repeated musical figure in the same voice?

Ostinato

What do we call a short, catchy, repeated pattern often used in popular music?

Riff

When a rhythmic idea is presented in longer note values, what is the device called?

Augmentation

Which device features several contrasting rhythms sounding simultaneously?

Polyrhythm

What rhythmic feel is produced when notes are played unevenly to create a ‘lilt’?

Swing rhythm

What phrase describes an abrupt shift to a noticeably faster or slower tempo?

Sudden change in tempo (subito tempo change)

Besides the number of layers, what else should be specified when describing rhythmic layers?

The instruments in each layer

How are rhythms described when they use mainly brief note values?

Predominantly short rhythms

What term describes rhythms that do not conform to a regular metre and feel free?

Irregular rhythm / free rhythm