Rhythmic Mnemonic

Question 1

What is the rhythmic mnemonic?

Answer 1

Generally Beat Pure Rhyme Time Tell Strangers Remain Silent

Question 2

What does the rhythmic mnemonic stand for?

Answer 2

General description Beat Pulse Rhythm Time Signature Tempo Structure Relationship between parts Silence

Question 3

General Description

Answer 3

Virtuosic, complex, simple Character/Mood – Joyous, brooding, relaxed, aggressive

Question 4

Beat

Answer 4

Steady or unsteady beat, clear, not clear, important? Changing or stays the same? Played by?

Question 5

Pulse

Answer 5

Clear/not clear? steady/unsteady? Important or not? Played by? In 2 or 3? Changes or stays the same? Swung or straight?

Question 6

Rhythm

Answer 6

Dotted rhythms, syncopation – simple syncopation or more complex? Use of repeated syncopation or less structured? Long held notes, Triplets/duplets, repeated quavers, simple rhythms, more complex rhythms, semiquaver runs?

Question 7

Time Signature

Answer 7

duple, quadruple Simple/compound Uncommon time signatures >7/8, 5/8 5/4 etc. Change of Time sig, or always the same. Patterns in change?

Question 8

Tempo

Answer 8

Fast, slow, moderate, getting faster or slower Italian terms: presto, allegro, lento, andante, ritardando, ritenuto, accelerando.

Question 9

Structure

Answer 9

Use of ostinato, rhythmic development, repeated rhythms, motif, imitation, fragmentation, augmentation, diminution

Question 10

Relationship between parts

Answer 10

Describe the rhythm of different parts – eg bass, accompanying chordal parts. Compare to each other – which longer notes? Which uses more syncopation etc?

Question 11

Silence

Answer 11

Character of the silence: brooding, unexpected, dramatic, organic, expected, interrupting Where/when? At the middle of a movement? Between phrases? From everyone or just some sections? Used often or only occasionally?

Question 12

Straightforward syncopation

Answer 12

Simple displacement of the beat. Quavers tied. Same value note, predictable, repetitive and used along with straight rhythms.

Question 13

Moderate syncopation

Answer 13

Use of semiquavers tied over the beat or over the bar, Use of dotted rhythms, other values which are syncopated or held. Use of patterns, repetition, ostinati make even complex syncopation seem predictable and more straightforward

Question 14

Complex syncopation

Answer 14

Found in Jazz. Long value notes tied to shorter values/short flurries of syncopated notes. Unpredictable, fewer patterns