RHYTHM ELEMENTS

Rhythm elements

BEAT

When you tap your foot to the music you are "keeping the beat", or following the structural rhythmic pulse of the music.

METER

When beats are organized into recurring accent patterns the result is a reconocible meter, measures or bar

The most common are:

         2/4 DUPLE METER: Two pulses per group

         3/4 TRIPLE METER: Three pulses per group

         4/4Quadruple METER: Four beats per group

So meter organizes beats into groups usually of two, three or four beats; and beats can divided into small units called SUBDIVISION usually two, three or four. 

TEMPO

It is the speed of the beat, wich can describe the number of beats per second.

Comparative chart of tempos
Slower			Faster
Adagio (Lento)	Andante (Tranquilo)	Moderate (Moderado)	Allegro (Rápido)	Vivace (Muy rápido)	Presto (Rapidísimo)
Blues	Pop	Funk	R and B	Rack and Roll	Heavy Rock

RITARDANDO: Gradually SLOWING down the tempo

ACCELERANDO: Gradually SPEEDING up the tempo

RITENUTTO: Slow down suddenly

SYNCOPATION

Putting accents “off the beat” between the counted numbers

POLYRHYTHM

Cross rhythms; More than one independent rhythm or meter happening simultaneously