What is the meaning of the time signature?

What is the meaning of the time signature?

1. The time signature is a measuring device. The upper number tells how many,
or its equivalent, of the bottom number there are in each measure. It has
nothing to do with “time.”
2. The time signature does not represent beats. There are different kinds of beats,
that can only be determined by looking at notation and feeling the flow of
macrobeats, microbeats, and rhythm patterns.
3. It is not necessary to look at the time signature to determine meter. By looking
at notation, one can tell if the music moves in two, three, or something else.
Time Signatures.

Macrobeats, microbeats, and rhythm pattern categories.

Macrobeats, microbeats, and rhythm pattern categories.

1. Macrobeats and microbeats are not tied to note names or time signatures,
but refer to tempo beats and meter beats.
2. A rhythm pattern has a minimum of two underlying macrobeats.
The “typical” rhythm pattern has four underlying macrobeats.
3. Three rhythm elements must work together simultaneously to create a strong,
consistent rhythmic performance: macrobeats, microbeats, and rhythm patterns.
Macrobeats and microbeats provide the context (meter) for rhythm patterns.
4. Rhythm patterns are chanted while audiating or moving to underlying
macrobeats (tempo beats) and microbeats (meter beats).
5. Rhythm patterns are functional, meaning that they are separated into
meaningful categories. Learning rhythm patterns in sequential categories
provides a way to recognize and remember music when listening, performing,
creating, or reading notation.
6. Music staff notation of rhythm is enrhythmic: a rhythm pattern can be
notated different ways and still sound the same.
7. The six rhythm pattern categories are:
1) Macrobeat and microbeat
2) Divisions
3) Division-elongations and elongations
 4) Rest
5) Tie
6) Upbeat

What we need to know about tempo and meter.

What we need to know about tempo and meter.

1. The large beat, or macrobeat, is what we feel to be the tempo beat.
2. Meter is determined by splitting the macrobeat into parts. Move to the
macrobeat by swaying from side to side using heel movement. For duple
meter, split the macrobeat into two parts (two hand touches). For triple
meter, split the macrobeat into three parts (three hand touches).
3. The macrobeat (tempo beat or pulse) in all meters is “Du.” Duple meter
microbeats (meter beats) are “Du-de” and triple meter microbeats (meter beats)
are “Du-da-di.” Anything between microbeats that is not a macrobeat is a “ta.”
Unusual meters of five and seven simply change the “d” sound of microbeats
to a “b” sound. An example of music moving in five is “Du-be Du-ba-bi.”
The rhythm pattern syllable system is based on beat function rather than
note value names.
4. To read rhythm, first decide what note value you will use for the macrobeat.
Then name the note values that will be the microbeats and divisions. This
alignment, macrobeat-microbeat-divisions, is referred to as a “rhythm tree.”

What are labels?

What are labels?

Labels are names that we use for communication. When we know something
by its name, or label, we can recognize it and talk about it.
Students must learn labels in order to recognize, apply, and remember patterns.
Labels include: major, minor, tonic, dominant, macrobeat, microbeat, duple,
triple, and so forth.

How do we learn patterns?

How do we learn patterns?

There is a learning sequence to pattern instruction. Students first learn
patterns, in the context of a meter or tonality, on a neutral syllable,
such as “bah” for rhythm patterns and “bum” for tonal patterns.
After neutral syllable patterns become familiar, these same patterns are learned
with rhythm and tonal syllables. Thus, a familiar pattern vocabulary is acquired.
It is important to know that:
1. Rhythm and tonal patterns are learned separately.
2. Patterns are always learned within the context of a meter or a tonality.
3. Rhythm patterns are chanted without pitch.
4. Tonal patterns are sung without rhythm.
5. To build a personal vocabulary, a student must first echo the pattern
with the teacher, then, if the student echos the pattern correctly, the
student should echo the pattern alone. With this learning process,
the student will gain ownership of individual pattern.

What are music patterns?

What are music patterns?

It may seem at first that any music teacher or music student should be able
to create rhythm and tonal patterns.
In fact, it is possible to create a rhythm and tonal pattern learning sequence
if one follows Gordon’s theories for developing a pattern vocabulary.
Creating appropriate pattern sequences takes time and an understanding
of how patterns are specifically created for the purpose of building
audiation skills.

How can we use an acquired music vocabulary?

How can we use an acquired music vocabulary?
When we have personal ownership of a functional music vocabulary,
we are able to anticipate, predict, and remember the organization
of a musical work.
We can learn music quickly because we have the tools, meaning music
vocabulary, to understand music.
Most importantly, we can enjoy and understand music because our music
vocabulary has provided us with the foundation to audiate.

What is a music vocabulary?

What is a music vocabulary?
A music vocabulary consists of organized and categorized rhythm
and tonal rhythm patterns within the context of a meter or a tonality.
When we think about it, we realize that music has a recognizable tonal
and rhythm pattern organization that makes sense. Music has syntax.
It sounds too good to be true, but the fact is that rhythm and tonal
patterns are the foundation for building audiation skills.

How do we learn to audiate?

How do we learn to audiate?

Remember how we learned to speak language?
Music learning is much like language learning.
We listen, think/audiate, speak/perform, improvise, read, and write.
During this sequential process, we acquire a personal vocabulary.

What is audiation?

What is audiation?

Audiation, simply defined, means to listen to and perform music
with understanding.
Because music is a listening and a performing art, learning how
to audiate is an important part of the music learning process.
Everyone has the potential to audiate, or “think,” music.
The ability to audiate is fundamental for music achievement.

Why are rhythm and tonal patterns important?

Why are rhythm and tonal patterns important?

Rhythm and tonal patterns are a music vocabulary.
With this music vocabulary we are able to give meaning to music.
 We learn to read, write, listen to, perform, compose,
and improvise music using rhythm and tonal patterns.
Patterns are the building blocks for developing musicianship
and music literacy.
Activities using rhythm and tonal patterns develop audiation skills.