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#HomeworkTime signatures describe #Q/Athe the number of beats per measure, where each measure is basically a musical idea, although this is a very loose concept. Most modern music is 4/4. That's 4 beats per measure with each beat represented by a 1/4 note. A guitarist may play each chord for one measure, strumming each beat. A drummer may play a repeating pattern every measure, with at least one stroke per beat. #Related Lessons
→Rhythm
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''Rhythm'' is a pattern o#Analysis of the Major Scalef sound over time. This can be a single note sustained infinitely, a drum beat, dynamic accents in a melody, etc. The vast majority of compositions seek to establish some sense of order in rhythm. Thus, most songs are locked to a specific ''tempo'' and ''time signature''. Tempo establishes how many regular intervals of time (or beats) should occur within a certain period of time, usually a minute. A common tempo is 120 beats per minute (bpm). This means there are 120 equal intervals of time per minute. Each beat will contain the standard minumum of controlled sound. For example, a drummer may play one stroke per beat, or a guitarist may strum a chord once per beat. Of course, doing the same thing every beat is boring. Master musicians know how to play "around" the beat, "off-beat", across several beats, or even subdivide a beat. But the point is that '''tempo provides a framework in time to create order''' - the listener does not feel lost, and a band or orchestra consisting of numerous instruments can simultize their playing to create a unified whole.
Consider a common drum pattern in 4/4 - boom ssss taah ssss boom ssss taah ssss. The musical idea repeats every 4 beats. Now 3/4 - boom ssss taah boom ssss taah. The musical idea repeats every 3 beats. We could play the first pattern in 3/4 or the 2nd in 4/4, but the pattern won't fit neatly inside each measure, appearing more complex than it actually is.