Meter & Beat Patterns

This lesson is part of the Rhythm, Meter & Form category.

Objectives

• 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).

Class Activities

• Discussions and definitions of simple, compound, and complex meters.
• Exploration, demonstration and performance of different beat patterns (i.e., rock, bossa, four-on-the-floor, waltz)
• Discussion of metrical levels (subdivision, beat, measure, phrase, hypermeter)

Assignments

• Meter identification of written and recorded musical excerpts
• Identification, matching and/or transcription of beat patterns