Beat: the steady pulse of the music

Rhythm: a pattern of long and short sounds

and silences - “the way the words go”

One Beat Rhythms

These rhythms usually last for one steady beat
Name of How we What it How many
Rhythm say it looks like sounds or
silences

Quarter Note ta one sound

lasting one
beat

Quarter Rest shh one silence

lasting one
beat

Eighth Note titi two sounds

Pair lasting one
beat

Beamed tikatika four sounds

Sixteenth lasting one
Notes beat
 Two Beat Rhythms
These rhythms or groups of rhythms
usually last two beats
Name of How we What it How many
Rhythm say it looks like sounds or
silences

Half note ta-ah one long sound

lasting two
beats

Half rest shh-hh one long rest

lasting two
beats

Eighth note syncopa three unequal

Quarter note sounds lasting
Eighth note two beats

Dotted tam-ti two unequal

quarter sounds lasting
Eighth two beats

Tied quarter ta-ah one long sound

notes lasting two
beats
 TIME SIGNATURES
The way beats of music are grouped to make them
easier to read, sing, and play
Time Another way How many beats How to
Signature to write it in a measure? conduct?

2 2 Two Down
4 Up

3 3 Three Down
4 Out
Up
Floor
4 4 Four Door
4 Window
Ceiling
Barline: the up and down lines in a piece of music
that divide the measures
Measure: the space between two barlines, group of
rhythms
Double Barline: the end of the song

2
4

Three Beat Rhythms

These rhythms or groups of rhythms
 usually last three beats
Name of How we What it How many
Rhythm say it looks like sounds or
silences

Dotted Half ta-ah-ah one long sound

Note lasting three
beats

Quarter Note ta-ah-ah one note lasting

tied to Half one beat tied to
Note one note lasting
two beats

Half Note ta-ah-ah one note lasting

tied to two beats tied
Quarter Note to one note
lasting one beat

Three tied ta-ah-ah three notes

quarter notes lasting one beat
tied to
eachother
 Whole Note (4 beats long)

Half Note (2 beats long) Half Note (2 beats long)

Quarter Note Quarter Note Quarter Note Quarter Note

(1 beat long) (1 beat long) (1 beat long) (1 beat long)

Eighth Note Eighth Note Eighth Eighth Note Eighth Note Eighth Note Eighth Note Eighth Note
(1/2 beat long) (1/2 beat long) Note (1/2 beat (1/2 beat long) (1/2 beat long) (1/2 beat long) (1/2 beat long) (1/2 beat long)
long)

16th 16th 16th 16th 16th 16th 16th 16th 16th 16th 16th 16th 16th 16th 16th 16th
note note note note note note note note note note note note note note note note
(1/4 a (1/4 s (1/4 a (1/4 a (1/4 a (1/4 a (1/4 a (1/4 a (1/4 a (1/4 a (1/4 a (1/4 a (1/4 a (1/4 a (1/4 a (1/4 a
beat beat beat beat beat beat beat beat beat beat beat beat beat beat beat beat
long) long) long) long) long) long) long) long) long) long) long) long) long) long) long) long)

When two eighth notes are put together, they look like
this and have two sounds on one beat.

When four sixteenth notes are put together, they look

like this and have four sounds on one beat.