AoS1 - Rhythm and Metre

Question 1

What is a pulse?

Answer 1

A beat - can be slow or fast

Question 2

What is simple and compound time?

Answer 2

Simple is a time signature where the bottom number is a 4 whereas compound time is a time signature where the bottom number is an 8

Question 3

What is meant by

a) regular?
b) irregular?
c) free time?

Answer 3

a) Top number can be divided
b) Top number cannot be divided
c) Rubato feel, no set time

Question 4

What is meant by

a) augmentation?
b) diminution?
c) hemiola?
d) cross-rhythm?

Answer 4

a) notes get longer
b) notes get shorter
c) 3-against-2 feel
d) 2 different rhythms played at the same time that conflict

Question 5

What are/is

a) dotted rhythms?
b) triplets?
c) syncopation?

Answer 5

a)

b) 3 notes in the space of 2
c) off-beat rhythm

Question 6

What is

a) tempo?
b) rubato?

Answer 6

a) speed of music

b) no set tempo, played freely

Question 7

What is

a) polyrhythm?
b) bi-rhythm?

Answer 7

a) 2 or more rhythms played at the same time

b) 2 rhythms played exactly

Question 8

What is tempo?

Answer 8

Speed of the music

Question 9

How is tempo measured?

Answer 9

In beats per minute (bpm)

Question 10

What does bpm stand for?

Answer 10

Beats per minute

Question 11

What can bpm be used to measure?

Answer 11

Tempo

Question 12

In reference to tempo, what is the meaning of ‘presto’?

Answer 12

very fast

Question 13

In reference to tempo, what is the meaning of ‘vivace’?

Answer 13

fast and lively

Question 14

In reference to tempo, what is the meaning of ‘allegro’?

Answer 14

fast, quickly and bright

Question 15

In reference to tempo, what is the meaning of ‘moderato’?

Answer 15

moderately

Question 16

In reference to tempo, what is the meaning of ‘andante’?

Answer 16

walking pace

Question 17

In reference to tempo, what is the meaning of ‘adagio’?

Answer 17

Slow

Question 18

In reference to tempo, what is the meaning of ‘largo’?

Answer 18

very slow

Question 19

If the term ‘rubato’ is written in the music, what is the performer able to do whilst playing the music?

Answer 19

Make changes to tempo in response to the way the music makes them feel

Question 20

In response to the way music makes a performer feel, the performer may want to slow down or speed up. What is this called?

Answer 20

Playing in rubato style

Question 21

What is the meaning of ‘rubato’?

Answer 21

No strict tempo

Question 22

What is ‘polyrhythmic’?

Answer 22

When 2 or more rhythms are being played at the same time

Question 23

Give an example of a genre in music that is often polyrhythmic.

Answer 23

African music (world music)

Question 24

What is ‘bi-rhythmic’?

Answer 24

2 rhythms played at the same time

Question 25

What are cross-rhythms?

Answer 25

When two different rhythms are played together at the same time, that usually conflict with one another. it is common in African music

Question 26

What are drum fills used for?

Answer 26

Building the music up, or to change within sections (i.e. verse to chorus)

Question 27

What is syncopation?

Answer 27

off-beat rhythm

Question 28

Name 4 different types of rhythm.

Answer 28

- Syncopation (off-beat) - Free rhythm - Dotted rhythm - Triplet (three notes in the space of 2)

Question 29

What is a triplet rhythm?

Answer 29

3 notes in the space of 2

Question 30

Name 3 types of rhythmic devices.

Answer 30

- Diminution - Hemiola - Augmentation

Question 31

What is augmentation?

Answer 31

Notes get longer

Question 32

What is diminution?

Answer 32

When notes get shorter

Question 33

What is diminution the opposite of?

Answer 33

Augmentation

Question 34

What is augmentation the opposite of?

Answer 34

Diminution

Question 35

What is a hemiola?

Answer 35

3-against-2 feel

Question 36

Give 4 types of time signatures.

Answer 36

- Irregular - Regular - Simple - Compound

Question 37

What is irregular time?

Answer 37

When the top number of the time signature can't be divided

Question 38

What is regular time?

Answer 38

When the top number of the time signature can be divided

Question 39

What is simple time?

Answer 39

When the main beat can be divided into 2

Question 40

What is compound time?

Answer 40

When the main beat can be divided into 3

Question 41

Give some examples of simple time signatures.

Answer 41

- 2/4 - 3/4 - 4/4

Question 42

Give some examples of compound time signatures.

Answer 42

- 6/8 - 9/8 - 12/8

Question 43

Give some examples of regular time signatures.

Answer 43

- 2/4 - 4/4 - 12/8 - 6/8 - 3/4

Question 44

Give some examples of irregular time signatures.

Answer 44

- 7/8 - 5/4 - 9/8

Question 45

What is a rallentando?

Answer 45

To slow down

Question 46

What is the opposite of a rallentando?

Answer 46

Accelerado

Question 47

What is an accelerando?

Answer 47

To speed up

Question 48

What is the opposite of accelerando?

Answer 48

Rallentando

Question 49

Give 3 examples of layering techniques.

Answer 49

- Polyrhythms - Cross-rhythms - Bi-rhythmic

Question 50

What is bi-rhythmic?

Answer 50

Exactly 2 rhythms being played at the same time (no more than 2 or less than 2)

Question 51

What are cross-rhythms?

Answer 51

2 different rhythms played together at the same time that conflict/don't match

Question 52

What are polyrhythms?

Answer 52

2 or more rhythms played at the same time.