Basic Rhythmic Beats
& Time Signature
|
A wee bit more music theory -
- perhaps of interest to some, but not to others, who are free to completely ignore it. |
Normally rhythm supports and enhances the melodic and harmonic components of music, but some music, such as that in drum solos, can be mostly pure rhythm.
At a very basic level, Rhythmic beat patterns are usually noted by dividing the music into uniform timing groups, called bars or measures, often (though not always) with two, three or four beat intervals in each, and then emphasizing certain beats, often (but not always or only) the first in each bar.
At this level, an accordion player can add or create rhythmic beat patterns in many ways. These can include, but certainly are not limited to, repetitive changes in intensity of pushes and pulls when pressing the right-side (treble buttons), and/or alternating between bass and chord when playing the left-side buttons.
The time signature tells how many uniform beat intervals to include in each rhythmic group or bar. For example, with a time signature of 3/4, there are three beats in each bar. In 4/4 time, there are four beats in each bar. These are considered to be simple time signatures.
Compound time signatures are more advanced. For example, a quick jig in 6/8 time often has six notes in a bar, shown as 2 groups of 3 notes each, often played to two beats on a drum or metronome. Using the left-hand accordion buttons, this might be played as a simple BASS-CHORD sequence; more on this in a later course (perhaps BA3?)
With our button-accordion notation, we place the "time signature" information just before the music notation, specifying the number of beats in each bar, and the beat symbol, usually (though not always) "the period or dot ( . ), or its equivalent".
More generally, melodic sequences of notes can form patterns of duration that are repeated throughout the tune, giving us melodic rhythm. These melodic patterns can be spread out over a number of bars or measures.
At a very basic level, Rhythmic beat patterns are usually noted by dividing the music into uniform timing groups, called bars or measures, often (though not always) with two, three or four beat intervals in each, and then emphasizing certain beats, often (but not always or only) the first in each bar.
At this level, an accordion player can add or create rhythmic beat patterns in many ways. These can include, but certainly are not limited to, repetitive changes in intensity of pushes and pulls when pressing the right-side (treble buttons), and/or alternating between bass and chord when playing the left-side buttons.
The time signature tells how many uniform beat intervals to include in each rhythmic group or bar. For example, with a time signature of 3/4, there are three beats in each bar. In 4/4 time, there are four beats in each bar. These are considered to be simple time signatures.
Compound time signatures are more advanced. For example, a quick jig in 6/8 time often has six notes in a bar, shown as 2 groups of 3 notes each, often played to two beats on a drum or metronome. Using the left-hand accordion buttons, this might be played as a simple BASS-CHORD sequence; more on this in a later course (perhaps BA3?)
With our button-accordion notation, we place the "time signature" information just before the music notation, specifying the number of beats in each bar, and the beat symbol, usually (though not always) "the period or dot ( . ), or its equivalent".
More generally, melodic sequences of notes can form patterns of duration that are repeated throughout the tune, giving us melodic rhythm. These melodic patterns can be spread out over a number of bars or measures.