1. Warm-Up
Writing - Write a few (complete) sentences about the following topic:
Is there a difference between pulse and beat in music?
(This is kind of like the argument of: If a tree falls in the woods and nobody is around, does it make sound?)

2. Beat, Meter, and Rhythm: Simple Meters
Musicians Guide to Music Theory and Analysis
Chapter Two

3. Pulse, Beat, and Beat Divisions
Terms:
Beat – the “primary pulse” or big beats in musical meter
Beat Divisions – the “secondary pulse” in musical meter; first level of faster moving pulses beneath the primary beat
Exercise: Tap your foot to the pulse/beat of the song.
Next, try doing the beat divisions lightly on your lap (do not make noise).

4. Simple and Compound Meters
Key Concept – page 20
Music written in simple meters have beats that divide into twos. Music written in compound meters have beats that divide into threes.
Beats divide into twos (simple meter) or threes (compound meter).
The speed of the beat is called the tempo.

5. Counting System For purposes of this class:
Duple: 1-e-&-a counting system
Triple: 1-and-a counting system
Different counting system (developed by Music Educator Edwin Gordon): du (quarter notes)
Duple: du-ta-de-ta
Triple: du-da-di
Another Counting system (Kodaly – may be familiar from Elementary school): ta (quarter notes)
Duple: ti-ti (eighth notes); ti-ka-ti-ka (sixteenth notes)

6. Metric Organization - Grouping Beats
Beats are grouped into units called measures (bars for jazz or the English).
Each measure is separated by bar lines.
BAR LINES
MEASURE

7. NOTE: ALL BEATS ARE NOT CREATED EQUALLY!
Conducting Patterns
We will do very basic conducting in the class. We will do more with conducting when we implement it in the class.
For now:
4 Pattern
3 Pattern
2 Pattern
NOTE: ALL BEATS ARE NOT CREATED EQUALLY!

8. Identifying Meter by Ear
Steps
Listen for the beat (listen for the strong vs. weak beats)
Listen for the beat divisions (simple or compound)
Listen for the groupings of the beat (duple, triple, quadruple)
LETS GIVE IT A TRY.

9. Metrical Accent
Downbeat – beat one of a measure; the big beats of the measures
Upbeat – final beat of a conducting pattern to prep the downbeat; the beat divisions
The weight of each beat reflects the accents.
Key Concept – page 23
We consider the downbeat to be the strongest beat in a measure. In triple meter, we hear / u u, or strong-weak-weak. In duple and quadruple meters, strong and weak beats alternate: / u / u.

10. Rhythm vs. Meter Rhythm Meter
Sets up strong and weak beats against which the rhythms are heard
Defines: how beats are divided (simple or compound) and how beats are grouped (duple, triple, or quadruple)
Example: meters of – 24; 34; 44
Common-practice – tonal music from th century
Nonmetric pieces – pieces without meter
Durations of pitch and silence (notes and rest) used
Example: sixteenth notes, eighth notes, quarter notes, half notes, whole notes

11. Note Part Names

12. Note Part Names Note Head Stem Beam Note Head Note Head Stem Flags
Beams
Note Head
Stem
Flag
Stem
Note Head

13. Warm-Up What does the top number of a meter signature tell you?
What does the bottom number of a meter signature tell you?
How is this useful when playing/performing music?

14. Rhythmic Values in Simple Meters

15. Rhythmic Values in Simple Meters
In order of beat division: whole notes break down into 2 half notes;
half notes break down into 4 quarter notes; etc.

16. Rhythmic Values in Simple Meters
Double Whole Note
Most Common
Double Whole Rest

17. Signatures for Simple Meters
Meter/Time Signature – located at the beginning of the first line of a musical score, after the clef and key signature, the meter signature indicates the beat unit and group of beats in the piece or movement; also called a “time signature”
Key Concept – page 26
In simple meters:
The upper number of the signature is 2, 3, or 4 to show that the meter is simple duple, triple, or quadruple; this number also tells us how many beats are in each measure.
The lower number can be any number that represents the beat unit; generally we find 2 (half note), 4 (quarter note), 8 (eighth note), or 16 (sixteenth note)

18. What does this all mean? HOW MANY BEATS PER MEASURE
WHAT KIND OF NOTE GETS ONE FULL BEAT – BEAT UNIT
NUMBERS ON THE TOP:
2 = DUPLE
3 = TRIPLE
4 = QUARDRUPLE
NUMBERS ON THE BOTTOM:
2 = HALF NOTE GETS ONE FULL BEAT
4 = QUARTER NOTE GETS ONE FULL BEAT
8 = EIGHTH NOTE GETS ONE FULL BEAT
16 = SIXTEENTH NOTE GET ONE FULL BEAT
THINK OF IT LIKE A FRACTION –
PUT A 1 IN THE NUMERATOR OVER THE BOTTOM NUMBER (DENOMINATOR)
THEN THAT IS THE NOTE THAT WILL RECEIVE ONE FULL BEAT.

19. SIMPLE METER SIGNATURES
DUPLE METER: TRIPLE METER: QUADRUPLE METER:
3 16
alla breve

20. Put it Together Label each of these parts?
Notes
Bar Line
Measure
Treble Clef
Meter Signature/
Time Signature
Starting left to right – lets go over the parts above.

21. Assignment
Try it #3 – page 26

22. Rhythmic Notation in Simple Meters
Key Concept – page 27 In simple meters, the beat divided into twos and subdivides into fours. There are four beats per measure Quarter note is the beat unit Each quarter note divides into 2 eighth notes which divides into 4 sixteenth notes – groups of 2 and 4

23. Example Page 28 – Stars and Stripes Forever by John Philip Sousa
What is the meter?
Classify it as simple duple, simple triple, or simple quadruple
Assignment
Try it #5 – page 29

24. Dots
RULE OF THE DOT: Any note with a dot get half (1/2) of the (previous) notes value added to the note.
Example: =

25. Ties vs. Slurs Ties Slurs Add durations of notes together
Connects two or more different pitches – needs to be played smoothly
Assignment: Tie worksheet for HOMEWORK

26. Dots and Ties
Key Concept – page 32 Ties and dots should be notated in a way that clarifies the meter rather than obscuring it. For example, an eighth tied to a quarter would be clearer than a dotted quarter in the rhythmic context shown below.

27. Syncopations
Rhythmic displacements of expected metrical accents, created by dots, ties, rests, dynamics markings, or accent marks.
Found in all music
Especially found in popular music, jazz, and ragtime

28. Notation Guidelines
Note Head – must go on the line or in the space; must be done clearly.
Stems:
2 Choices – the middle line of any staff is the pivot point.
Stem Up – on the RIGHT side of the note to the octave above
Stem Down – on the left side of the note to the octave below
Stems MUST connect with the note head
Beams – notes should be grouped to reflect the beat unit
Key Concept – page 34
Rhythmic patterns should be grouped by beaming to reflect the beat unit.

29. Notation Guidelines -Note heads are on the line or in a space.
-Stems are going down on the left side if the note is above the middle line,
or up on the right side if the note is below the middle line.
-Beams are in one beat units (assuming we are in 24).

30. TRY IT #8 – PAGE 35 Assignment
(DO NOT CIRCLE THE WRONG BEAT PATTERNS. LOOK FOR THEM, THEN WE WILL DISCUSS.)

31. Upbeats
Not all music begins on the downbeat. Example, turn to page 35.
This song begins on the upbeat, technically called the anacrusis.
Music can begin with incomplete measures, a beat, or half a beat before the first full measure.