Rhythm basics: beat, measure, meter, time signature, and tempo

What counts as a beat? What is the difference between tempo and time signature? What is meter? And why do 6/8 and 3/4 feel different? Here are the rhythm basics you need to know.

Note vs. Beat

If you could map a piece of music onto a ruler of time, with the length of the music corresponding to the physical length of the ruler, the beats would be the units of measurement on that ruler.

Music is made up of notes of different lengths. That is how we create rhythm, and we measure the length of notes in beats.

We use different symbols and names for these different note lengths. Common British and American English names include:

• Semibreve: whole note
• Minim: half note
• Crotchet: quarter note
• Quaver: eighth note
• Semiquaver: sixteenth note

Yes, the notes have two names. Conventionally, the terms in the left column are used in British English, while the terms in the right column are used in American English. You say tomato, I say tomahto.

Bar or Measure

Bar and measure mean the same thing.

Think of a measure as a container that holds a fixed number of beats.

You might have heard a drummer start a song by shouting, “1, 2, 3, 4!” That is because the container has four beats, and the drummer’s count-in gives the band one full measure to prepare.

In written music, measures are separated by vertical lines called barlines.

Going back to the ruler analogy, it is like how one foot contains a fixed number of twelve inches, or one centimeter contains a fixed number of ten millimeters.

In music, however, this fixed number of beats can change. It is determined by the time signature.

Time Signature

You will see the time signature at the beginning of a piece of music. It is written as two numbers stacked vertically.

• The top number tells you how many beats are in one measure.
• The bottom number tells you what kind of note is considered one beat.

Each time signature can be classified as a certain meter.

Meter

Meter is a specific pattern of strong and weak pulses. You can also think of it as the rhythmic feel of the music. Generally speaking, there are two types of meter: simple and compound.

In simple meter, the beat is divided into two notes. In compound meter, the beat is divided into three.

They feel like this:

• Simple duple: ONE and TWO and. Examples include 2/2, 2/4, and 2/8.
• Simple triple: ONE and TWO and THREE and. Examples include 3/2, 3/4, and 3/8.
• Simple quadruple: ONE and TWO and THREE and FOUR and. Examples include 4/2, 4/4, and 4/8.
• Compound duple: ONE and a TWO and a, as in 6/8; or ONE two three FOUR five six, as in 6/4.
• Compound triple: ONE and a TWO and a THREE and a. Examples include 9/8.
• Compound quadruple: ONE and a TWO and a THREE and a FOUR and a. Examples include 12/8.

6/8 and 3/4 both contain six eighth notes in a measure, but they have distinctly different feels.

Meters can get complex. For example, you can have compound quintuple meter, such as 15/8, or mixed meter, where the meter changes every measure.

An excerpt from Igor Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring is a famous example of mixed meter, and it is often an essential audition piece for conductors.

Tempo and BPM

Last but not least, tempo is the speed of the music. Being able to keep a steady tempo is a hallmark of good rhythm and timing.

Tempo is typically expressed either with tempo markings, which are written in words, or with beats per minute, usually shortened to BPM, which is written in numbers.

For example, if you see a tempo marking of 120 BPM, grab your metronome, set it to 120 BPM, and find your tempo.

And there you have it: your rhythm basics. Don’t forget to check out more of our tips on rhythm, practice, and other musician topics.