Chapter 3: Simple Meters
forte
(f) loud
fortissimo
(ff) loudest
mezzo forte
(mf) moderately loud
mezzo piano
(mp) moderately soft
piano
(p) soft
pianissimo
(pp) very soft
What are the most common simple-meter signatures?
2/4, 3/4, 4/4
What is the beat unit in common time?
4
rest
a duration of silence
beam
a line that connects two or more note stems within a beat unit to indicate eighth, sixteenth, or thirty-second notes
anacrusis
a note or group of notes that precedes a downbeat, sometimes shown in an incomplete measure; also called an upbeat or pickup
flag
a short arc attached to the right side of a note stem, at the opposite end from the note head; each one divides the duration of a note in half (e.g., a sixteenth note has two of these and is half of an eighth note, which has one)
meter signature
a sign that appears at the beginning of a piece, after the clef and key signature, that indicates the meter type (duple, triple, quadruple) and beat division (simple, compound); also called a time signature
whole rest
a silence represented by a block hanging below the fourth staff line; equal in duration to a whole note
half rest
a silence represented by a block sitting on top of the third staff line, equal in duration to a half note
quarter rest
a silence represented by a certain symbol and is equal in duration to a quarter note
sixteenth rest
a silence represented by a particular symbol and is equal in duration to a sixteenth note
eighth rest
a silence represented by a particular symbol and is equal in duration to an eighth note
conducting patterns
a specific pattern, one for each meter, that conductors outline with arm and wrist motions to set the tempo and maintain the beat for musicians
whole note
a stemless hollow notehead; its duration is equivalent to two half notes
eighth note
a stemmed filled note head with one flag or beam; equivalent to two sixteenth notes
quarter note
a stemmed filled note head; equivalent to two eighth notes
sixteenth note
a stemmed filled notehead with two flags or beams; two sixteenth notes equal an eighth note
half note
a stemmed hollow notehead; its duration is equivalent to two quarter notes
tempo
how fast or slow music is played
On which side of the stem are flags drawn?
always on the right side of the stem
metrical accent
an emphasis on a note resulting from its placement on a strong beat
How do you decide if a piece is in duple, triple, or quadruple meter?
if beats are grouped into twos, the meter is duple; if bets are grouped into threes, the meter is triple; if beats are grouped into fours, the meter is quadruple
How do you decide which conducting pattern to use?
in duple meters, the first beat is strong and the second is weak (strong-weak); in triple meters, the pattern is strong-weak-weak; in quadruple meters, the pattern is strongest-weak-strong-weak
Explain the difference between rhythm and meter
meter defines beat groupings and divisions; rhythm consists of duration and pitches and silences heard in relation to the underlying meter
simple meter
meter where the beat divides into twos and subdivides into fours; the top number of these meter signatures is 2, 3, or 4
quadruple meter
meter with four beats in each measure
triple meter
meter with three beats in each measure
duple meter
meter with two beats in each measure
On which side of a note are stems drawn?
right side if the stem is below the third line of the staff; left side if the stem is on or above the third line of the staff
accent
stress given to a note or some other musical element that brings it to the listener's attention; can be created by playing louder or softer, using a different timbre or articulation, speeding up or slowing down, or slightly changing rhythmic durations
upbeat
the beat that precedes a downbeat; named for the upward lift of the conductor's hand; also known as the anacrusis
dynamic level
the degree of loudness in performance; extends from ppp (very soft) to fff (very loud)
beat unit
the duration assigned to the basic pulse
rhythm
the durations of pitch and silence (notes and rests) used in music
downbeat
the first beat of a measure, which has the strongest accent or emphasis; named for the downward motion of the conductor's hand
meter
the grouping and division of beats in regular, recurring patterns
beat
the primary pulse in musical meter; normally represents an even and regular division of musical time
note
the representation of a musical sound with a note head on the staff; the position of the note head indicates the pitch; duration is indicated by whether the note head is filled or hollow and the presence of a stem, beam, or flag
beat division
the secondary pulse in musical meter; beats may be divided into two parts (simple meter) or three parts (compound meter)
What do the upper and lower parts of a meter signature represent in simple meters?
the top part indicates whether the meter is duple, triple, or quadruple, and the bottom parts indicates the beat unit
rhythm clef
two short, thick, vertical lines at the beginning of a single-line staff, used to notate unpitched percussion parts
Which numbers may appear in the upper and lower positions of the meter signature in simple meters?
upper: 3, lower: 2
What is the beat unit in cut time?
2
tempo indication
a marking, often in Italian, printed in a score to indicate how fast the music is to be played
measure
a unit of grouped beats, beginning and ending with bar lines
bar line
a vertical line, extending from the top of the staff to the bottom, that indicates the end of a measure
offbeat
a weak beat or weak portion of a beat
Where do the stronger metrical accents fall in simple duple meter?
at the beginning (strong-weak)
Where do the stronger metrical accents fall in simple triple meter?
at the beginning (strong-weak-weak)
Where do the stronger metrical accents fall in simple quadruple meter?
at the beginning and at the third beat (strongest-weak-strong-weak)
dot
rhythmic notation that adds half of a note's own value to its duration (e.g., the duration of a dotted-half note equals a half note plus a quarter note)
duration
the length of time represented by a note or rest
