CFA Rhythm in Music Terms 1-8

Simple Meter

• Beats divided into four notes

• Beats divided into three notes

• Beats divided into two notes

• Beats are not divided at all

Beat

• A steady, recurring pulse

• The fast and slow rhythms in music

• A period of silence

• Unpredictable pulses

Compound Meter

• Beats divided into two notes

• Beats divided into three notes

• Beats divided intofour notes

• Beats remain undivided

Rest

• A steady, recurring pulse

• Silent

• Loud

• Fast rhythms

Meter

• Pattern of high and low notes

• Pattern of strong and weak beats

• A steady, recurring pulse

• Pattern of short and long notes

Time Signature

• Shows how many beats are in each part

• Shows how many beats per measure and which note equals one beat

• Shows how many beats are in an entire song

• Shows the current time according to Greenwich Mean Time

Syncopation

• Music on the off-beat

• Music only on strong beats

• Music on strong beats sometimes

• Music never on off-beat