Music Fundamentals A Balanced Approach

111

Subdividing the Quarter Note

In the musical example below, eighth notes and sixteenth notes are beamed together to form unit beats. Notice

that the counts written below the notes are placed at the beginning of each new beam that connects the notes.

As we discussed in Module 2, a beamis a thick line that connects the stems of two or more notes and substitutes

for individual flags.

“James Bond Theme” (M. Norman)

The “James Bond Theme” has been rewritten below without beams connecting the eighth or sixteen notes. The

counts are written below the same pitches as in the example above.

Notice in the first “James Bond” example how beams have replaced flags to indicate the four main beats in each

measure. When the quarter note is subdivided into smaller units, notes with flags may be connected with beams.

• Beaming notes indicates the beat.

Count: 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

Count: 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

111 Subdividing the Quarter Note

112 Counting Sixteenth Note Patterns

116 Syncopation

121 Changing the Pulse Note in Simple Meter: The Half Note

123 Changing the Pulse Note in Simple Meter:

The Eighth Note

126 Composing Rhythms

129 Workbook

MODULE 5 RHYTHM: SIMPLE METER EXPANDED

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Placement in text

becomes

Placement in text

becomes

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