21b Discussion - Advanced rhythm and meters

Metrical Mastery

Asymetric

• Asymmetric meter and irregular meter mean the same thing
• An asymmetric meter is one where the beats have varying lengths
• They can always be broken into groups of 2 and 3

Mixed meter:

• When the music alternates between two or more meters in a regular pattern

Polymeter:

• More than one meter happening at the same time.
• This happens when different members in an ensemble are reading in defferent meters.

Implied Polymeter:

• When the music is not notated with multiple meters happening at the same time, but it sounds like it is.

Polyrhythm:

• The simultaneous occurance of multiple rhythms over top of each other

Composite Meter:

• Irregular meters where the time signature notates the beat groupings within
• Ex: 2+3/8 would be a composite meter version of 5/8

Ametric:

• Music without a perceived meter

Metric Modulation:

• A change in tempo where some division of the old time signature converts direlctly into some division of the new time signature.