DURATION 2
Duration refers to the lengths of sounds and silences in music and includes the aspects of beat, rhythm, metre, tempo, pulse rates and absence of pulse.
Students should be able to discuss the following aspects of duration as relevant to the music studied:
• beat: the underlying pulse in music
• rhythm: patterns of long and short sounds and silences found in music
• tempo: the speed of the beat. Music may be relatively fast or slow and may become faster or slower
• metre: the grouping of beats. Beats can be grouped in any combination including 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and so on.
Students should understand and apply the following (where appropriate to the musical context):
• regular and irregular metres
• metric groupings
• tempo
• rhythmic devices such as syncopation, augmentation and diminution
• methods of notating duration, both traditional and graphic.
Students should be able to discuss the following aspects of duration as relevant to the music studied:
• beat: the underlying pulse in music
• rhythm: patterns of long and short sounds and silences found in music
• tempo: the speed of the beat. Music may be relatively fast or slow and may become faster or slower
• metre: the grouping of beats. Beats can be grouped in any combination including 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and so on.
Students should understand and apply the following (where appropriate to the musical context):
• regular and irregular metres
• metric groupings
• tempo
• rhythmic devices such as syncopation, augmentation and diminution
• methods of notating duration, both traditional and graphic.
Accent
Anacrusis Augmentation Backbeat Bar Beat Diminution Dotted Rhythm Duplets Duration Free Rhythm Legato Metre Multimetre Offbeat Ostinato Pause/Fermata Polyrhythm Pulse Rhythm Rubato Staccato Swing Rhythm Syncopation |
Tempo & Other Words
- Largo - Lento - Adagio - Andante - Moderato - Allegro - Vivace - Presto - Prestissimo - Ritardando - Accelerando - Molto - Poco - Piu - Meno - Meno Mosso - Piu Mosso - A Tempo - Static Time Signatures - Simple Tine Signatures - Compound Time Signatures - Irregular Time Signatures Triplets - Crotchet Triples - Quaver Triplets |
Duration
Duration describes the length of something.
Duration describes the length of something.
Free Rhythm
A piece that has ‘free rhythm’ has an incredibly irregular or unidentifiable beat. Free rhythm pieces usually hove no time signatures.
Here is a Chant piece that uses free rhythm followed by a John Cage piano piece.
A piece that has ‘free rhythm’ has an incredibly irregular or unidentifiable beat. Free rhythm pieces usually hove no time signatures.
Here is a Chant piece that uses free rhythm followed by a John Cage piano piece.
Legato
See Legato in the EXPRESSIVE TECHNIQUES table.
See Legato in the EXPRESSIVE TECHNIQUES table.
Metre
Metre is another word for time signature. It just means the number of beats in each bar.
Metre is another word for time signature. It just means the number of beats in each bar.
Multimetre
Multimetre is a fancy way of saying changing time signatures. A simple change from ³¼to ¦¼is not an example of Multimetre. Multimetre implies a significant number of time signature changes. If you were played a Multimetre piece you would not be expected to list every change but it would be excellent if you could give a summary of the time signatures that are used and a guide of when they are used in the piece. Here is a tricky little piece from Bartok’s ‘Mikrokosmos’. The counting is indicated under each bar. The very little numbers are piano fingering numbers.
Multimetre is a fancy way of saying changing time signatures. A simple change from ³¼to ¦¼is not an example of Multimetre. Multimetre implies a significant number of time signature changes. If you were played a Multimetre piece you would not be expected to list every change but it would be excellent if you could give a summary of the time signatures that are used and a guide of when they are used in the piece. Here is a tricky little piece from Bartok’s ‘Mikrokosmos’. The counting is indicated under each bar. The very little numbers are piano fingering numbers.
Offbeat
The off beat (as the name suggests) are notes that fall between the main beats.
The off beat (as the name suggests) are notes that fall between the main beats.
In this example (The Tide is High) you will hear the ‘Hi hat’ on the off beat. As you count 1 2 3 4 you will hear the ‘Hi hat’ between these beats. In this next example you will hear the offbeat notes in the soprano line. The alto and tenor sing on the beat.
Ostinato
An ostinato is a repetitive pattern. It is very important that you only discuss the durational aspects of an ostinato in a Duration question. Ostinato or Riff? A riff is a short melodic pattern that may be used in different parts of a piece, it may only be heard a few times. An ostinato is a continuous repeating pattern. Always try to notate the rhythm of an ostinato.
Here is an African piece from the movie ‘The Power of One’. The basses are singing an Ostinato (from the start). This ostinato features dotted rhythm (the dotted crotchet). Notice that each bar of the ostinato uses the same rhythm.
An ostinato is a repetitive pattern. It is very important that you only discuss the durational aspects of an ostinato in a Duration question. Ostinato or Riff? A riff is a short melodic pattern that may be used in different parts of a piece, it may only be heard a few times. An ostinato is a continuous repeating pattern. Always try to notate the rhythm of an ostinato.
Here is an African piece from the movie ‘The Power of One’. The basses are singing an Ostinato (from the start). This ostinato features dotted rhythm (the dotted crotchet). Notice that each bar of the ostinato uses the same rhythm.
In this example you will hear an ostinato in the backing vocals.
You would point out the syncopation (of course!).
You would point out the syncopation (of course!).
Here is an example of an ostinato in the percussion part of a song. The ostinato is simply the clapping on the backbeat.
Pause/Fermata
Sustain the note for longer than expected. This can be up to the performers/conductor’s discretion. This creates a pause in the beat.
Sustain the note for longer than expected. This can be up to the performers/conductor’s discretion. This creates a pause in the beat.
Polyrhythm
A true polyrhythm is the use of two or more ‘conflicting’ rhythms. This does not mean 2 or more independent rhythms the best way to think about it is that it means rhythms that have a different beat division. In this simple example the top line has beats that are divided into groups of three. The bottom line has beats that are divided in groups of two. Listen to the example and count 1 2 3 as you listen to the top line. Change your counting to 1 2 and notice how it fits with the bottom line but not the top.
A true polyrhythm is the use of two or more ‘conflicting’ rhythms. This does not mean 2 or more independent rhythms the best way to think about it is that it means rhythms that have a different beat division. In this simple example the top line has beats that are divided into groups of three. The bottom line has beats that are divided in groups of two. Listen to the example and count 1 2 3 as you listen to the top line. Change your counting to 1 2 and notice how it fits with the bottom line but not the top.
Here is an example from ‘Carnival of the Animals’ by Saint-Saëns. The piano is playing triples (3 quavers per beat) while the strings are playing in 4/4 time where the beats are only divided in half (2 quavers).
Here are some other pieces that use polyrhythm.
Pulse
Musical pulse is the basic or underlying ‘beat’ of the music. Pulse can be regular or irregular. You know what these sound like by now! Try to mention any instrument that is reinforcing the pulse.
Musical pulse is the basic or underlying ‘beat’ of the music. Pulse can be regular or irregular. You know what these sound like by now! Try to mention any instrument that is reinforcing the pulse.
Rhythm
Rhythm is the pattern and organisation of note durations. Rhythm has nothing to do with pitch.
Rhythm can be repetitive (the same rhythms are used over and over). As you listen to this piece you will hear this rhythmic cell over and over. The pitch is irrelevant when discussing rhythm.
Rhythm is the pattern and organisation of note durations. Rhythm has nothing to do with pitch.
Rhythm can be repetitive (the same rhythms are used over and over). As you listen to this piece you will hear this rhythmic cell over and over. The pitch is irrelevant when discussing rhythm.
Rhythm can sound mechanical/motor rhythm. This piece uses continuous semiquavers.
Rhythm can be march-like. A strong 2/4 time signature
Rhythm can be free. See ‘Free Rhythm’
Rubato
Rubato is an expressive push and pulling of tempo. To correctly count a piece that uses rubato you many need to vary the speed of your counting. Here is an example from Bellini’s ‘Norma’ you will hear the pushing and pulling of the tempo.
Rubato is an expressive push and pulling of tempo. To correctly count a piece that uses rubato you many need to vary the speed of your counting. Here is an example from Bellini’s ‘Norma’ you will hear the pushing and pulling of the tempo.
The use of rubato was widespread in the Romantic period. Here is Chopin’s E minor prelude. As you tap the pulse, notice that there are slight changes throughout.
Staccato
See ‘Staccato’ in the EXPRESSIVE TECHNIQUES table.
See ‘Staccato’ in the EXPRESSIVE TECHNIQUES table.
Swing rhythm
Swing rhythm is a feature of Jazz music. It looks like this
Swing rhythm is a feature of Jazz music. It looks like this
It has a consistent Long-Short pattern
Listen to the following example. The first phrase does not use swing rhythm the second phrase does.
Listen to the following example. The first phrase does not use swing rhythm the second phrase does.
Here are some various samples that use swing rhythm. If you can say ‘bouncy’ or ‘long short’ with the rhythm than it uses swing rhythm.
If you are hearing this rhythm in an orchestral piece it is better to call it Dotted Rhythm. See ‘Dotted Rhythm’ in DURATION. Here is an Orchestral example.
Syncopation
Syncopated notes are notes that fall off the main beat or accenting beats that are not usually accented. The best way to hear syncopation is to tap the beat and listen for any notes/chords/beats that do not align with what you are tapping.
Here is a simple example of syncopation. You will hear the melody without syncopation then with.
Syncopated notes are notes that fall off the main beat or accenting beats that are not usually accented. The best way to hear syncopation is to tap the beat and listen for any notes/chords/beats that do not align with what you are tapping.
Here is a simple example of syncopation. You will hear the melody without syncopation then with.
Here are some other samples of syncopated rhythm. Tap the
pulse to highlight the syncopation.
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