GCSE AQA Music AoS1 Rhythm and Metre

Pulse - the beat of the music

Simple time - any time signature with a 2 or 4 on the bottom

Compound time - any time signaturethat dosen't have 2 or 4 on the bottom

Regular rhythm - in dupple, triple and quadruple time

Iregular rhythm - that don’t fit in to the normal duple, triple or quadruple times

Free rhythm - has no definite metre or pulse

Augmentation - where a melody or series of notes is repeated using notes of a longer duration

Diminution - where a melody or series of notes is repeated using notes of a shorter duration

Hemiola - has a three against two feel

Cross Rhythm - when two different rhythms are played together at the same time

Dotted Rhythm - contains dotted notes

Triplets - when three notes are played in the time of two

Syncopation - when a composer changes the usual stress of the beats in a bar

Tempo - the speed of the music

Rubato - not a strict tempo

Poly rhythm - when two or more different rhythms are played at the same time

Bi-rhythm - when two different rhythms are played at the same time

Drum Fill - a short passage of music which helps to bridge the gaps between sections or phrases of a melody in a piece of music – any instrument can do this but the drum fill has become a regular feature of music popular music