Fascinating Rhythms

Rhythm

Of the four basic parameters of music––rhythm, melody, harmony, and timbre––the first is the most basic and the place where we begin our study of music.  Everything we do in music starts with rhythm. Melody and harmony may be added later but are not necessary for a satisfying musical experience. Rhythm refers to the duration of sounds and the duration of the spaces (rests), or lack of spaces, between them. Rhythms are considered regular when they contain recognizable patterns and there seems to be a reasonable system of expectation in the musical narrative. On the other hand, rhythms may be irregular when we cannot anticipate with assurance what might come next because we do not sense an integral logic born of pattern. Rhythms can be very simple, consisting of a small number of durations or it may be highly complex. Volumes could be written about this intriguing subject but the discussion here is kept brief in the interest of practicality.

It is important to understand that we read rhythms the same way we read language. As you read this introduction your eye is taking in sizable batches of data at one time, perhaps several words at once. You are not reading each letter separately and then forming them into words. So it is with rhythm.  The skilled musician often takes in half measures, whole measures, or even pairs of measures at a glance depending on the complexity of the patterns and the tempo.

Meter

Most music has at the heart of its rhythmic structure an underlying pulse known as the beat––the steady, measured throbbing on which all the rhythmic values are based. Most of the music of the past four hundred years is metrical; that is, the beats are grouped into recognizable patterns the most common of which are two beats per group (duple meter) or three beats per group (triple meter). These groupings are known as measures and are separated by bar lines when notated. The first beat of each group gets an accent and is performed with some increased level of energy. This first beat is known as the downbeat because conductors indicate the beginning of each measure with a downward motion of the hand or baton. The last beat of each measure is known as the upbeat and the conductor’s hand or baton should move accordingly. In essence, all beats other than the downbeat are considered upbeats––duple meter is counted “DOWN-up” while triple meter is counted “DOWN-up-up.” When triple meter moves very quickly it is often counted in one.

Time Signatures

We use a fraction, known as a time signature, at the beginning of every piece to notate the meter. The numerator (upper number) tells us the number of beats per measure while the denominator (lower number) tells us which of our rhythmic symbols will represent the beat. The symbols (notes) in common use are as follows:

The whole note––  

The half note––

The quarter note––

The eighth note––

The sixteenth note––

As you can tell from their names, they are part of a relative value system that is based on a division by two. There are also double whole notes as well as 32nd notes, 64th notes, and the very rare 128th notes.

The time signature for marching music is 2/4 in which every measure has rhythmic symbols that add up to the equivalent of two quarter notes. When you are dancing the waltz the music you hear is written in 3/4 time. A great deal of music is written in 4/4 or what is known as common time, indicated by an upper case C instead of the fraction. In 2/4 time the first beat is accented and the second is not (ONE, two, ONE, two or LEFT-right, LEFT-right). In 3/4 time the first beat is accented and the two that follow are not (ONE-two-three, ONE-two-three). In 4/4 time the primary accent occurs on the downbeat and there is a subsidiary accent on the third beat that begins the second half of the grouping (ONE-two-three-four, ONE-two-three-four).

There are many pieces that have time signatures that use the eighth note to represent the beat. Perhaps the most common of these is 6/8. This is a form of duple meter in which each half of the measure is divided into three beats. We apply the term “compound” to 6/8, 9/8, or 12/8 meters that have triple divisions of the beat. In 6/8 time the main accent is on beat one and the subsidiary accent is on beat four (ONE-two-three-four-five-six). You may occasionally see a composition written in 3/8 time and the use of the less common eighth value usually indicates a desire on the composer’s part for a performance that feels lighter than 3/4 time.

The tempo often affects the way in which music will be perceived or performed. A piece in a moderate 3/4 time will be counted in groups of three beats but at a higher rate of speed it may be counted in one.

We use a variety of symbols called “rests” to indicate the absence of sound. The symbols in common use are as follows:

  The whole rest–– below the middle line

The half rest–– above the middle line

The quarter rest––

The eighth rest––

The sixteenth rest––

Rests are more difficult to perform than notes because we must wait the appropriate amount of time without making a sound. For most of us that is often very hard to do. A rest does not mean “do nothing,” it means “count.” The longer the rest, the more patient you must be. It is often helpful to say “rest” when you are having difficulty with this form of negative sound space.

Tempo

Tempo refers to the speed of the beat. At the beginning of each composition there is either a word or metronome marking that indicates how fast the piece should be performed.

Metronome markings indicate the number of beats per minute. For example, “march time” (2/4) is usually performed at “quarter note equals 120” which means that there are 120 beats per minute or two beats per second. Every serious musician owns a metronome or a metronome app in their smart phone. When you practice with a metronome it keeps you honest and tests your ability to stay in tempo.

You may also find that the tempo is indicated by a word, often in a foreign language such as Italian, French, or German. Here are some of the common Italian terms in order of speed:

Grave—very slow

Largo—slow and broad

Lento—moderately slow

Adagio—slow and easy

Andante—at a comfortable walking pace

Moderato—moderate (not too fast and

not too slow)

Allegretto—moderately fast

Allegro—fast

Vivace—fast and lively

Presto—very fast

Prestissimo—as fast as possible

If you wish the performer to slow down gradually use the term ritardando. The term accelerando is used to indicate a gradual speeding up. From time to time, you may wish to employ these in the performance of a particular rhythmic etude.

Ties and dots

We join two notes together by the use of a tie, a curved line connecting two note heads. For example, in 4/4 time a half note may be extended by tying it to another note. To create a note that lasts three beats you may either tie a half note to a quarter or merely place a dot after the note head. This dot represents the quarter to which it is tied and is a form of abbreviation. The dot always represents half the value of the note that is dotted. Therefore, a dotted quarter note is equal in length to a quarter note tied to an eighth. And, a double dotted quarter is equal to a quarter tied to an eighth tied to a sixteenth. Rests may also be dotted.

Dynamics

Dynamics refer to the volume of sound (loudness). The following abbreviations from the Italian are in common usage. They are listed in order of loudness.

ppp—pianississimo (as soft as possible)

pp—pianissimo (very soft)

p—piano (soft)

mp—mezzo piano (moderately soft)

mf—mezzo forte (moderately loud)

f––forte (loud)

ff—fortissimo (very loud)  

fff—fortississimo (as loud as possible)

To indicate an increase in volume we use the term crescendo. To indicate a decrease in volume the term decrescendo is used.