Chapter 2 - Rhythm, Meter, and Metric Organization

Music notation

It shows how long one note lasts in relation to others

Note tree

Relationship of duration symbols

Rest tree

The relationship of the equivalent rests

Dot and tie

Two symbols that extend the length or duration of a note

Dot

Used to extend the value of a single note by one-half of its original value

Double dot

Lengthens the dotted note value by half the length of the first dot

Tie

It combines the durational values of two or more notes of the same pitch using a curved line

Duration

The length of time sound or silence occurs

Beat

A regular, recurring pulsation that divides music into units of time

Meter

The organization of musical time into recurring patterns of strong and weak beats

Duple (Strong weak)

Two beats per measure

Triple (Strong weak weak)

Three beats per measure

Quadruple (Strong weak less strong weak)

Four beats per measure

Subdivision

The division of the beat into two or three equal parts

Rhythm

Series of durations, often varying, of sound and silence

Tempo

The speed of thee beat

Meter signature

Establishes the grouping of the beats and the nature of the subdivision of the beat

Simple meter

Refers to the beat being divided equally into two parts

Compound meter

Refers to the beat being divided equally into three parts

Common time

Represented by a lowercase c, it is used to represent 4/4

Alla breve (Cut time)

Designated by a c with a line going through, is a substitute of 2/2

what represents the subdivision in compound meter

the time signature

Asymmetrical meters

Meters that have beat units of unequal length.

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The most common ones have 5 or 7 as the top number.

Irregular division

When a note is divided into an odd number of parts

Triplet

To divide a regular duration into three,

Simple division of a dotted note (Duplet or Tuplet)

When two notes divide the beat

Downbeat

The first beat of the measure

Anacrusis

Songs that begin with one or more notes that precede the first full measure

Syncopation

The rhythmic displacement of the expected strong beat created by using dots, rests, ties, accent marks, rhythm, and dynamics

Hemiola

A special type of syncopation where the bead is temporarily regrouped into twos

Cross-rhythm

Metric device where the rhythmic relation of three notes occurs in the time of two

For pitches on the middle line and above on the staff

the stems go downward.

For pitches below the middle line

the stems extend upward.

When drawing notes with single flags

the flag always goes on the right side of the note.

with what should rhythmic patters be paired

with the beam to indicate beat units