AQA Music GCSE- AoS1- Rhythm and Metre

Rhythm and Metre

What we will need to recognise in the Exam:

• pulse
• simple and compound time
• regular, irregular, and free rhythms
• augmentation, diminution, hemiola and cross-rhythm
• tempo, rubato
• drum fills

Pulse and Time signatures:

• Pulse is the beat of the music (what you tap your feet to)
• Pulse is steady
• There are two different types of time signature: simple and compound time
• In simple time each beat is divided into two equal parts
• Examples of simple time: 4/4, 3/4, 2/4
• In compound time each beat is divided into three equal parts
• Examples of compound time: 6/8, 9/8, 12/8
• A feature of compound time signatures is dotted notes.
• A dotted note adds half as much again to the length of the note

Regular and Irregular ryhthms

• Irregular rhythm can be classified as music with irregular meter such as 5/4
• Regular rhythm are songs with meter such as 2/4, 3/4, 4/4.
• In music, regular rhythm has long notes coinciding with strong beats and shorter notes coinciding with weaker beats.
• Irregular rhythm has long notes coinciding with weak beats and short notes coinciding with…