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Chapter 2:Rhythm and

Pitch

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Key Terms (Rhythm andTempo)

compound meter

nonmetrical

syncopation

tempo

metronome marks tempo indications

fermata

rhythm

beat

accent

meter

measure (bar) bar lines

simple meter

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Rhythm

rhythm = general time aspect of

music, relationship between sounds

in time

a rhythm = arrangement of longer

and shorter sounds and silences

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Time Conceptsin Western Music

beat

regular background pulse

accent extra emphasis on a beat

regular, irregular, or no accents

meter regular, recurring pattern of accented and

unaccented (strong and weak) beats

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Simple Meters

duple meterONE two| ONE two| ONE two|

triple meter

ONE two three| ONE two three|

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Compound Meter

two or more beats per measure

quick, triple subdivision of beatsONE-and-a two-and-a| ONE-and-atwo-and-a|

Row, row, row your boat

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Rhythm vs. Meter

meter as background; rhythm as

foreground

meter the yardstick; rhythm the

object being measured

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Rhythm

can coincide with meter strongly

metrical

can play with meter syncopation

can contradict meter implying

the wrong meter or becomingnonmetrical

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Rhythm and Meter

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Syncopation

displaces accents

accents on weak beats

oneTWO | oneTWO | oneTWO

accents in between beats

oneAND twoAND | oneAND twoAND |

plays with meter Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

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Tempo

the speed of music

the rate at which beats follow one

another

metronome marks: exact

60 = 1 beat/sec. 120 = 2 beats/sec.

tempo indications: approximate;can express mood

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Common Tempo Indications

adagio slow

andante slow, but not too slow

moderato moderate

allegro fast

presto very fast

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Tempo Changes

accelerando gradually faster

ritardando gradually slower

pi lento slower

pi allegro faster

fermata hold of indefinite length

a tempo at the main tempo

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Key Terms (Pitch)

pitch

scale

interval

octave

diatonic scale

chromatic scale

flat

sharp

half step

whole step

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Aspects of Pitch

definite or indefinite

high or low

scale: a pool of definite pitches

interval: the distance between any

two notes

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Octave

eight span

higher note seems to duplicate

lower note

smooth blend of sound comes from

overtone series

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Step

usually the distance between

adjacent notes of a scale

suggests a ladder of discrete

pitches

scale steps:specific notes of ascale (do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, ti, do)

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Half Step (Semitone)

the smallest interval

the distance between two adjacent

notes of the chromatic scale

the distance between two adjacent

notes on the keyboard

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Whole Step

the most common interval in

diatonic scales

equals two consecutive half steps

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Scales

fixed collections of pitches used to

construct music

diatonic scales

chromatic scales

other scales (modern and worldmusic)

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Diatonic Scales

contain seven pitches

octave (eighth note of scale)

repeats the starting pitch contains 5 whole steps and 2 half

steps

examples: major scales, minorscales, church modes

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Diatonic Scale

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Chromatic Scale

contains 12 pitches

consists entirely of half steps

requires sharps or flats

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Chromatic Scale

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Sharps and Flats

flat lowers a note by a half step

sharp raises a note by a half step

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Diatonic vs. Chromatic

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Scales and Instruments

Western instruments are designed to

play scales

some can bend pitches

a little: flute, clarinet, saxophone, guitar

a lot: voice, trombone, violin, cello,timpani

musicians learn to play in tune

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Listening

chromatic scale?

diatonic scale?

Non-Western scales?