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330 Arts and Entertainment

Music

RHYTHM

The basis of all music is its beat, which

divides it into units of time. Composers

and musicians group these beats together,

decide how long each beat is, and place

accents on some for emphasis. This creates

the basic rhythm of a piece of music.

HOW IS MUSIC CREATED?

Instruments generate sounds, as does the human

voice. Some sounds with a specific. PITCH are

called notes. These sounds are then grouped to create

. RHYTHM and. MELODY. Some music is created
spontaneously, and some is composed over many
years. Musicians compose alone and in groups.

WHAT ARE THE BASIC RHYTHMS?

The most basic rhythm is a group of two beats (1, 2)

as in the act of walking or the sound of a heartbeat.

Another basic rhythm is a group of three beats (1, 2,

3), as in a waltz. Both groups have the accent on the

first beat. These two basic rhythms can be multiplied

or combined to create more complex rhythms. A

group of beats repeated in a regular rhythm is a bar.

HOW DO WE REMEMBER PIECES OF MUSIC?

Music can be memorized, written down, or recorded

on to a format such as CD. There are several systems

for writing music. The most common is to create a

score. A score is a page with a series of five-line grids

called staves. Using notation (symbols), a composer

writes the melody and rhythm of a piece of music.

1 SNARE DRUM AND STICKS

Drummers tap rhythm with sticks,

by hand, or with a foot pedal.

1 WOODSTOCK, NEW YORK, USA, 1969

Joe Cocker’s band prepare to perform to a huge crowd at the Woodstock

music festival. Around 500,000 fans attended the event, which featured

30 top bands and musicians. It was the first festival for popular music.

LIVE PERFORMANCE 3

Live performance takes place on

stage in front of an audience.

Although more people listen to

recorded music (on CD, radio, and

in clubs), watching the skill of

musicians playing live together

creates a great atmosphere.

Fret is wooden –

pressing the string

against the fret

changes the pitch

Double bass has

four strings, but a

fifth can be added

to play lower notes

Plucking the strings

by hand produces a

stronger rhythm

than using a bow

Music is the art of making sounds and arranging them

in an entertaining way. People create and listen to

music for pleasure, celebration, and to express ideas and

feelings. Types of music include classical, folk, and pop.

music