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|Music Theory Basics#Harmony|Harmony
|Music Theory Basics#Melody|Melody
|Music Theory Basics#Timbre|Timbre|Music Theory Basics#Applied to Guitar|for Guitar}}
''Rhythm'' is a pattern of 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.