Theory
11 terms
Accent
An accent is the emphasis of a single note through strength, duration, or pitch to give it special weight within a phrase.
Hemiola
A hemiola is a rhythmic device in which two units of three beats are momentarily regrouped into three of two (or vice versa), “shifting” th…
Beat
A beat is the basic unit of metric pulse — the fundamental “tick” in music.
Anacrusis
An anacrusis (upbeat) is one or more notes before the first strong beat, with which a melody begins.
Meter
Meter is the regular alternation of strong and weak beats within a bar.
Polyrhythm
Polyrhythm is the simultaneous combination of several different rhythmic patterns.
Rhythm
Rhythm is the organization of sounds in time — the alternation of durations and accents.
Time Signature
The time signature is the fraction at the start of a score indicating the number and duration of beats in a bar.
Syncopation
Syncopation is a rhythmic device in which accent shifts from a strong beat to a weak one.
Measure
A measure (bar) is the segment of music between two barlines, containing one metric unit.
