Rhythm, Meter & Tempo: GCSE Revision

Fill in the blank: Rhythm is essential in music because it provides _______.

• harmony and structure

• balance/contrast amongst the instruments

• melody and dynamics amongst the instruments

• lyrics and mood within the song

Fill in the blank: Syncopation is _________ off-beats or stressing of weaker beats.

• accenting

• subtracting

• dividing

• adding

What is the basic definition of a polyrhythm?

• playing two or more different rhythms simultaneously

• the impression of a different meter

• accenting off-beats

• accenting at different points across a number of bars

Fill in the blank: A hemiola is a rhythmic device used to give the impression of a different ________ in subsequent bars.

• rhythm

• meter

• tempo

Fill in the blank: The time signature 4/4 is also known as ______.

• Common time

• Cut time

• Triple time

• Duple time

Fill in the blank: The time signature 2/2 is also known as ______.

• Common time

• Cut time

• Triple time

• Duple time

In the context of musical genres, what is the typical meter used in Blues music?

• 3/4

• 4/4 or 12/8

• 6/8

• 5/4

Which genre is mostly associated with changing time signatures throughout the song?

• Jazz

• Heavy/Death Metal

• Classical

• Pop

Simple triple is where the beats of a bar are divided into ______.

• Two

• Three

• Four

• Five

Which tempo marking means 'Moderate walking speed'?

• Presto

• Allegro

• Andante

• Largo