Beat and rhythm


Introduction

The concept of duration includes rhythms, beat, metre and tempo

When music has a regular pulse it is like a heart beat that keeps the tempo steady. This is called a beat. You might tap your foot to the beat.

When there is no obvious beat it is difficult to describe the tempo. Without beat the music might be unpredictable and make dancing difficult.

This graph demonstrates the mathematical relationship of some common rhythms, ordered from shortest to longest note length.

A graphical representation of simple rhythms in common time, showing the relationship between semiquavers and semibreves in a mathematical sense.

Activity 1

Task 1

Watch the short video 'Beat and rhythm' (2:47) explained' for a brief overview of beat and rhythm.

Task 2

Complete the KWL chart on Beat and rhythm. 

Reflect and share:

Beat and rhythm explained

Duration 2:47