• Metre

Metre refers to the grouping of rhythm into beats into a measured length we call a bar.

These are represented by two numbers on top of each other, the lower number refers to the type of beat while the top refers to how many of those beats are in the bar. For example Simple Quadruple (4/4) has 4 crochet beats in a bar were as Compound Double (6/8) has 6 quaver beats in a bar.

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• Note Lengths

Describing if you have short fast rhythms or long held notes.

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• Hemiola

When you impose a metre feel into a different metre that is written.

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• Groupings

Phrases grouped into equal rhythmic values e.g. of 2 or 3 or 4

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• Anacrusis

Often known as a pickup bar, this is when we have 1 or 2 notes that proceed the opening down beat of a bar. An Anacrusis only applies to the beginning of a piece of music.

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• Tempo

The speed at which the music is played, either fast or slow. In the musical era's we give certain tempos names:

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• Dotted Rhythms

A dotted rhythm is were halve of the note length value is added onto the note.

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• Rubarto

Also known as freedom of tempo or robbed time, a relaxed approach to tempo were you can apply an expressive appropriate quickening or slowing down of speed.

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• Diminution

Taking a rhythmic phrase that is repeated but the note length values are halved making the phrase twice as short.

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• Augmentation

This is the same as diminution but in the opposite direction were note values are doubled making the phrase twice as long.

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• Cross Rhythms

One rhythm against another were the subdivisions don't line up in the piece of music. This can range from a single to several bars.

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• Tuplets

A grouping of 3 equally spaced notes in the space of 2 equally spaced notes. Other tuplets exist when you are fitting an odd irregular number of notes into and even number of notes e.g 5 notes into 4.

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• Tied Notes

Notes that are tied over a bar line.

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• Syncopation

Rhythms that are off-beat, accenting weaker upbeats rather than strong downbeats.