Meter & Beat Patterns
(Redirected from Meters & Beats)
This lesson is part of the Rhythm, Meter & Form category. |
Objectives[edit]
- Students will be able to analyze the meter and beat pattern of a piece of music.
- Students will be familiar with different beat patterns (and their instrumentation) used in contemporary and popular music.
- Students will be able to predict the effect a particular meter and/or beat pattern will have in a musical composition.
- Students will be able to identify the sounds and accents in a musical rhythm/texture that support their metrical hearing
- Students will be able to analyze meter using multi-level approach that identifies the subdivision, beat, measure (and if possible phrase and hypermeter)
- Students will be familiar with basic conducting patterns for commonly used meter signatures (meters conducted in 2, 3, 4, 6).
Resources[edit]
Readings[edit]
- Review: See readings for lesson on Duration, Rhythm, & Rhythm
- F. Tobey "Standard Metrical Arrangements" (A Feeling for Harmony).
- R. Hutchinson (Music for the 21st cent. classroom):
- Open Music Theory v2
Listening or Videos[edit]
Instructor Resources
- H. Krebs. Metrical Consonance and Dissonance: Definitions and Taxonomy." (Fantasy Pieces: Metrical Dissonance in the Music of Robert Schumann).
- R. de Toledo. "Chapter Two: Core Rhythms." (African Rhythm as the Foundation of Contemporary Bass Performance. Masters thesis, University of Auckland: 2018.)
Class Activities[edit]
- Review of meter terminologies including simple/compound/complex meters.
- Exploration, demonstration and performance of different beat patterns (i.e., backbeat, four-on-the-floor, waltz, tresillo, claves, polka/oompah)
- Discussion of metrical levels (subdivision, beat, measure, phrase, hypermeter).
Assignments[edit]
- Meter identification of written and recorded musical excerpts
- Identification, matching and/or transcription of beat patterns
- Sample assignment playlist for ID of beat patterns (youtube)