Section 3 Notes
Music Appreciation Grade 7
Section 3 Rhythm and Meter
Notes: As we saw and heard melody and harmony go hand in hand and unfold together. They have to move forward together in RHYTHM.
Rhythm is the orderly movement of music in time. Rhythm is closely related to physical movement such as dance. When rhythmic patterns are repeated over and over they have a strong hypnotic effect upon us. For this reason rhythm is called the “heartbeat of music”
When certain patterns are repeated we come to expect them. There is rhythm in nature-the day and the night, high and low tide, summer and winter, sleep and waking.
The organization of musical time is known as meter. Time in music is organized in units known as measures. Each measure has a fixed number of beats. The accent falls on the first beat of the measure and returns in regular patterns.
The simplest pattern consists of two beats. ONE two ONE two etc……This is known as duple meter. Musical examples for duple meter include London Bridge, Twinkle Twinkle, and Yankee Doodle to name just a few.
Another basic pattern has three beats per measure, also known as triple meter. ONE two three ONE two three ONE two three………..A popular dance, the waltz ,is always in triple meter. Other musical examples include America and The Star Spangled Banner.
LISTENING:
1) Marche Militaire by Franz Schubert of Germany is one of the most beautiful of all marches. It is bright and suggests a military procession. The piece is in 2/4 time. Two beats per measure and the quarter note = 1 beat.
2) Waltz of the Flowers from The Nutcracker Suite by the most popular Russian composer, Peter Illych Tchaikovsky. The word suite, as used by 19th century composers, indicates an instrumental work consisting of a number of short movements united by a central idea. The Nutcracker Suite was drawn from a Christmas Eve ballet about a little girl who dreams that the ugly nutcracker she received as a gift has turned into a handsome prince. As is the case with any waltz this one is in 3/4time. Three beats per measure and the quarter note = 1 beat.
Waltz of the Flowers from The Nutcracker Suite
3) March from The Love of Three Oranges, by Contemporary composer Sergei Prokofiev (Russia). Here is an exciting example of 4/4 time. Four beats per measure and the quarter note = 1 beat. It comes from a fairy tale opera about a melancholy prince who suffers from an imaginary sickness from which he can be cured only if he is made to laugh.
March from The Love of Three Oranges
4) Barcarolle from The Tales of Hoffman by Jacques Offenbach, who was born in Germany but won great success in Paris. The third act of the opera is set in Venice. It is night; the sky is studded with stars. In this lovely setting is heard the Barcarolle. This word comes from the Italian barca, a boat. A barcarolle, therefore is a boat song, generally in 6/8 time. Six beats per measure and the eighth note = one beat.
Barcarolle from The Tales of Hoffman
5) Saber Dance from the ballet Gayane by the contemporary Russian composer Aram Khatchaturian. This popular music, in 4/4 time shows the power of rhythm; it has a rapid beat that never changes. The melody is heard in the high register, with quick repeated notes that create a mood of excitement. The music suggests warriors leaping through the air, waving their sabers. Dissonant harmonies tell us that this is a twentieth century piece. Through the use of syncopation the composer achieves an effect of energy and power. Syncopation is the shifting of the strong beats to a weaker beat.
6) Hoe Down from Rodeo is by the modern American Composer Aaron Copland, who has been remarkably successful with ballets based on American themes. The heroine of the Rodeo is an awkward cowgirl. When she transforms herself into a charming young lady, she finally gets her man. Hoe Down is a vigorous piece in 2/4 time that makes us think of a Saturday night out in the country at the big square dance. The melody is lively; the rhythm rushes along carrying the listener with it. The dissonant harmony is of the twentieth century. The middle section is quieter and introduces some syncopated rhythms. Then the square dance returns and brings the piece to a boisterous end.