Definition Rhyme scheme, along with meter, is one of the main features of traditional verse poetry. Rhyme schemes are often determined by the form of the poem – for example, sonnets have a very specific rhyme scheme, while cinquains have another. Rhymes work best when the poem has a rhythmic quality, so rhyme schemes are most common in traditional verse (which has a steady rhythm, or meter). Rhyme... »
What is Meter? “Meter” is the underlying structure of a musical beat. It refers to the “count” of a song, or how many individual beats you would count out if you were tapping your foot to the beat. Most commonly, the meter will be a 4-count, meaning it has a pattern in which you count 1-2-3-4, 1-2-3-4. However, many other songs have a 3-count or a 2-count meter. More rarely, you may find songs wit... »
What is a Time Signature? All music is divided into measures, or short units that contain a set number of or “counts,” and Example You’ve probably heard musicians counting off 1-2-3-4, 1-2-3-4, in which case the set of four beats is a single measure. This “measure” structure is the backbone for the song’s rhythm. But not all measures are the same! While most have four beats, they can have any numb... »
Down-beat: Beats have two components – the down-beat and the up-beat. The down-beat is best understood by clapping your hands along with a song. You are clapping the down-beats. Up-beat: An up-beat is the part of the rhythm that occurs in between the down beats. When clapping along with music, an upbeat is timed with when you pull your hands away from each other. Stressed beat: The beat that is gi... »
What is a Beat? In music, the beat is the basic unit of time. It’s a way that musicians count the notes being played to stay in synch with each other, and is often associated with the pulse that listeners tend to feel in the music. That is to say, when one is to clap along or dance with the music, they are moving to the beat. Songs are made up of three basic components: harmony, melody, and beat. ... »
What is Tempo? Tempo is the pace or speed of the music. Higher tempo means a faster song, whereas a lower tempo means a slower song. Tempo is flexible in classical music — many pieces have parts that speed up or slow down expressively, which is known as rubato. This is much less common in popular music, which usually has a “fundamental pulse” that stays at the same tempo throughout the song. Some ... »