Music Theory Lesson No.1b: Musical Time (Pulse, Beat, Tempo, Meter, Rhythm). In this lesson I discuss some terminology for musical time including: pulse, beat, tempo, meter, and rhythm. This is an important discussion before we start discussing music notation and why we use it. You can find all the lessons at the Music Theory Lessons page. Here’s the Youtube link if you want to watch it there.
Pulse and Beat
- Often used interchangeably, which is totally fine at this point.
- Pulse is the undifferentiated and equally spaced feel of the music, whether that be taps or clicks.
- Beat is the same but later on when we discuss time signatures and measures the beat can mean something more specific than a simple pulse. The beat might indicate that some beats are stronger or weaker than others, hierarchy and structure there
Tempo
- The rate or speed of the beat. Fast tempo or slow tempos. Pulse and beat can certainly mean different things when discussing tempo. If we have a fast tempo the beats might be going by quickly but the feel of the pulse might be more simple. For example, feeling the pulse only on the first beat of each measure.
Meter
- The grouping of beats into patterns. For example, group of 4 beats (4/4 time) or a group of 3 beats (3/4 time).
- In a later lesson we’ll discuss how the meter will offer structure and form measures in notation.
Rhythm
- A generalized term for all this content. However, it can be used more specifically to describe the vast variety of short or long durations of notes often highly patterned and organized in relation to the beat or extending over multiple beats.
Word Usage can be confusing for students – Generic usage vs specific to note duration
- The piece is filled with interesting rhythms (Generic)
- Let’s discuss the rhythm of this piece (Generic)
- This piece is very rhythmically interesting (Generic)
- The rhythm is a quarter note not an eighth note (specific)
Hope you found that helpful. Find more theory lessons on the Music Theory Lessons page. If you need any clarification on this particular lesson please leave a comment below.
