Notation, Beam and Grouping Flashcards
What are dotted notes?
1 and 1/2 longer than the actual note.
What is rhythm?
Rhythm is a pattern of sounds produced by different time values.
What are barlines?
Barlines are vertical lines across the stave that divide sheet music into bars each with the same number of beats. The first note after a barline is a down beat and is strong. The note before is an upbeat and is weak.
A double barline marks the end of a section or piece.
What are time signatures?
The time signature follows the clef. It has two numbers. The upper number shows how many beats there are: 2(double), 3(triple), 4 (quadruple) metre. The lower number shows what note represents a beat. Usually it is 4 meaning a crotchet is a beat. 4 4 time can be written as a C.
What is an anacrusis?
Sometimes, music starts with an incomplete bar before a strong beat. This is known as anacrusis. Sometimes, the last bar of the piece is shortened to balance the length of the anacrusis to equal one bar.
What are beams and their rules?
Short notes are grouped into one beat units using beams which replace the tails. The number of beams corresponds with the tails of the notes. Whenever possible beams should show clearly the position of the exact beat.
What does it mean to group rests?
Rests are grouped to make the beats of the bar easy to see. Start with the smallest to fill in intervals and build to larger rests for larger intervals.
What are triplets?
To divide crotchets in 2, write 2 beamed quavers. To divide crotchets in 3, write 3 beamed quavers with a small 3 near to show that the 3 quavers fit in the time taken for a crotchet. This is called a triplet. They can include rests and any note value.
