Rhythmic Notation Microlesson

Introduction

Man has always made music. Over time, notation for rhythm in music has evolved and developed into the notation system with which we are currently familiar. In this microlesson, we will familiarize ourselves with rhythmic notation.

Explore

Rhythmic Notation Introduction

View the presentation below to learn about rhythmic notation. Prepare to take notes and use the navigational buttons at the bottom of the video to pause, rewind, or move forward.

Click here to download a quick guide to Rhythmic Notation.

Duration of Rests and Notes

Notes and rests are symbols that represent numbers and the amount of 'time,' or beats, to maintain sound or silence. View the presentation below to learn about duration of rests and notes. Prepare to take notes and use the navigational buttons at the bottom of the video to pause, rewind, or move forward.

Meter: Simple and Compound

Simple Meter
These are terms used to describe the meter, or time signature. Simple meter uses the upper numbers of 2, 3, or 4 and is spoken as duple, triple, or quadruple meter. Time signatures that are 2/4, 3/4, 4/4 are ‘simple’ because each note may be segmented into two other notes. Click on each of the hotspots below to review these concepts.

Compound Meter

Compound Meter also may be described as duple, triple, or quadruple meter, but these may be segmented into groups of three. Compound meter uses numbers of 6, 9, 12. Most compound meters use notes with dots. Click on each of the hotspots below to review these concepts.

Click here to download a quick guide about Meter.

Challenge

Using your knowledge from the microlesson, see what you know in the self-assessment below. If you have any questions about what you have learned in this module, connect with your instructor.

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