Transcript Chapter 2: Rhythm

Rhythm
1)the arrangement of time in
music
2) a combination of long and
short sounds that conveys a
sense of movement
“As a species, we love to play
with rhythm. We deal with it
every second of our lives, right to
the end.”
-Mickey Hart, percussionist (b. 1943)
Rhythm
Beat: basic rhythmic pulse of a musical piece
 Accent: strong beat

-achieved through stress, duration or
position

-In pop music, what instruments usually
provide accents?

Example of Accents in Pop Songs:
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1. “Clocks” Coldplay
2. “Halo” Beyonce
3. “Boom Boom Pow” Black Eyed Peas
4. “Under Pressure” David Bowie
Tempo: rate of speed at which a piece is
performed
 Accelerando: gradual increase in tempo

Example: “We both reached for the gun”
from Chicago
 Metronome: an instrument that may be set to
sound regular beats within a wide range of
speeds


Meter
Meter: organization of rhythm into patterns of
strong and weak beats
 Measure (bar): unit containing a number of
beats

-usually first beat of the measure is
accented

-duple (2 beats per measure), triple (3
beats per measure) and quadruple (4 beats
per measure) are most common

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Listening: Piano Battle
It is being performed at a very fast
tempo (molto vivace).
 It contains examples of crescendo and
accelerando and is in duple meter.

Conducting Patterns
Downbeat: first beat of the measure;
when the conductor’s hand goes down
 Upbeat: last beat of the measure; when
the conductor’s hand goes up, bringing it
into position to give the downbeat for the
next measure

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Examples of Popular Songs in
Various Meters:


Duple (or Quadruple)
Row, Row, Row your Boat
-Coldplay “Viva la Vida”
Beyonce “Halo”
Kings of Leon “Use Somebody”
Triple
Happy Birthday
The Star Spangled Banner
-Alicia Keys “If I Ain’t Got You”
-Billy Joel “Piano Man”
Coldplay “Sparks”
John Mayer “Gravity”
-
-
-
-
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
Syncopation: occurrence of accent
on a weak beat or in between beats
-Example: Coldplay “Viva la Vida”
Rhythm Review
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Meter
Measures
Duple, Triple, Quadruple
Beat
Downbeat, Upbeat
Accent
Syncopation
