1. 1)the arrangement of time in music
Rhythm
1)the arrangement of time in music
2) a combination of long and short sounds that conveys a sense of movement

2. “As a species, we love to play with rhythm
“As a species, we love to play with rhythm. We deal with it every second of our lives, right to the end.”
-Mickey Hart, percussionist (b. 1943)

3. Rhythm Beat: basic rhythmic pulse of a musical piece
Accent: strong beat
-achieved through stress, duration or position
-In pop music, what instruments usually provide accents?

4. Example of Accents in Pop Songs:
1. “Clocks” Coldplay
2. “Halo” Beyonce
3. “Boom Boom Pow” Black Eyed Peas
4. “Under Pressure” David Bowie

5. Tempo: rate of speed at which a piece is performed
Accelerando: gradual increase in tempo
Example: “We both reached for the gun” from Chicago
Metronome: an instrument that may be set to sound regular beats within a wide range of speeds

6. Meter
Meter: organization of rhythm into patterns of strong and weak beats
Measure (bar): unit containing a number of beats
-usually first beat of the measure is accented
-duple (2 beats per measure), triple (3 beats per measure) and quadruple (4 beats per measure) are most common

7. Listening: Piano Battle
It is being performed at a very fast tempo (molto vivace).
It contains examples of crescendo and accelerando and is in duple meter.

8. Conducting Patterns
Downbeat: first beat of the measure; when the conductor’s hand goes down
Upbeat: last beat of the measure; when the conductor’s hand goes up, bringing it into position to give the downbeat for the next measure

9. Examples of Popular Songs in Various Meters:
Duple (or Quadruple) Row, Row, Row your Boat Coldplay “Viva la Vida” Beyonce “Halo” Kings of Leon “Use Somebody”
Triple Happy Birthday The Star Spangled Banner Alicia Keys “If I Ain’t Got You” Billy Joel “Piano Man” Coldplay “Sparks” John Mayer “Gravity”

10. Syncopation: occurrence of accent on a weak beat or in between beats Example: Coldplay “Viva la Vida”

11. Rhythm Review Meter Measures Duple, Triple, Quadruple Beat
Downbeat, Upbeat
Accent
Syncopation