To understand what rhythm is, and how it works in music, we need to clarify some previous concepts.
BEAT:
| Image 1. Beat in music. |
We could define beat as a constant and regular pulse that is present in all music. The beat is the foundation of music, the element that keeps all parts together: every instrument in a band or in an orchestra is connected to the rest because they share the same beat.
TEMPO:
The tempo is the speed of the beat. Fast songs have fast tempos, and vice-versa.
Traditionally, in music, the tempo has been specified using Italian words:
Presto (very fast), Vivace (fast), Allegro (moderately fast), Moderato (medium), Adagio (moderately slow), Largo (slow).
The tempo can also be measured using beats per minute (bpm), and in modern music, the exact speed is often indicated in bpms.
The tempo can increase or decrease during a piece of music. This is specified using some regulators that are Italian words that indicate how the tempo is modified:
- Accelerando: means that we have to increase the tempo progressively.
- Ritardando: means that we have to decrease the tempo progressively.
The metronome is a device that indicates the tempo. Modern metronomes are often digital, and you can have them on your mobile phone as an app. In this link, you can use a digital metronome.
2. METER
In order to play music, we need to organize the beats. We do so by using accents and creating regular patterns that repeat. This organization is what we know as METER.
This way, we can define the meter as the way we organize beats in regular patterns by using accents.
We can have different kinds of meter. For example, if we accent every two beats, we have a duple meter; if we accent every three beats, we have a triple meter, and if we accent every four beats, we have a quadruple meter.
Depending on what kind of meter we are using (duple, triple, quadruple...) we will work with different TIME SIGNATURES. But first, we need to know about the note symbols and their value.
In order to play music, we need to organize the beats. We do so by using accents and creating regular patterns that repeat. This organization is what we know as METER.
This way, we can define the meter as the way we organize beats in regular patterns by using accents.
We can have different kinds of meter. For example, if we accent every two beats, we have a duple meter; if we accent every three beats, we have a triple meter, and if we accent every four beats, we have a quadruple meter.
Depending on what kind of meter we are using (duple, triple, quadruple...) we will work with different TIME SIGNATURES. But first, we need to know about the note symbols and their value.
