Rhythm and tempo

In this guide we'll use listening examples and musical notation to learn about these rhythmic devices:

• 3 against 2
• time changes
• irregular time signatures
• triplets
• augmentation and diminution

The rhythmic effect of three notes played against two notes.

In this example, the melody subdivides each beat into three. The bass part subdivides each beat into two.

Minimalist composers often use 3 against 2 or cross rhythms to develop their music as you can hear in the example below.

The music of Philip Glass is recognisable for the repetition of these rhythms which create a hypnotic, dreamy feeling.

The time signature, also known as metre, is how we measure the beats contained in each bar. These can change from bar to bar.

In Golden Brown by The Stranglers, the time signature alternates between bars of 6/8 and 7/8.

Try tapping along to spot the change.

Listen below to Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition where a solo trumpet announces the main theme and is answered by the whole brass section. Follow the score and notice the time changes from 5/4 to 6/4.

Other examples of time changes

The Beatles used time changes frequently in their music:

• Let it Be by the Beatles has time changes from 3/4 to 4/4 - try playing along with this song to feel the changes in time

• Happiness is a Warm Gun includes many time changes. It flows from 4/4 to 5/5 to 9/8 to 10/8.

Irregular time signatures have either an unusual number of beats or the time signatures changes.

Other examples of irregular time signatures and time changes

• Mission: Impossible Theme by Lalo Schifrin is in 5/4 time
• Solsbury Hill by Peter Gabriel is in 7/4 time
• Hangin' Tree by Queens of The Stone Age is (mostly) in 5/4 time

A triplet is a group of three notes played in the time of two.

Triplets are found in simple time.

In Livin' on a Prayer by Bon Jovi, the lyric “You live for the fight when that’s all that you’ve got” is sung as three triplets (shown between vertical lines below):

“You |live for the| |fight when that’s| |all that you’ve| got”

In the musical score of intermezzo from Carmen by Georges Bizet shown below, the triplet quavers are shown in the red box.

Listen and follow the musical score to spot them.

Listen to the opening of Mars, the Bringer of War by Gustav Holst, from his suite based on the seven planets.

Hear the strings playing the relentless triplet rhythm col legno.

Augmentation is an increase in the length of notes.

In this example, a melody is heard twice. During the second playing, the note lengths increase.

Listen to this example of augmentation in The Lamb by John Tavener.

Compare the two phrases. The note lengths have been doubled in the second phrase.

Notice also the use of syllabic singing in this example.

Listen to these two phrases from The Firebird: Final Hymn by Igor Stravinsky.

Notice how the accented chords played by the brass section are augmented in the second phrase.

Diminution is a decrease in the length of notes.

In this example, a melody is heard twice. During the second playing, the note lengths decrease.

If you already have an original melody and you are looking for some ideas to develop it, why not explore using augmentation or diminution.

Simply double the note lengths to create augmentation or half the note lengths to create diminution. This is a very simple technique which can be used to develop your rhythms.

3 against 2 - rhythmic effect of three notes played against two notes.

Triplets - group of three notes played in the time of two

Augmentation - an increase in the length of notes.

Diminution - is a decrease in the length of notes.