Rhythm and Meter

Rhythm and meter can be difficult elements for choirs to learn, and are oft overlooked concepts when performing musical analysis. This chapter seeks to identify key terms associated with rhythm and meter, discuss potential pitfalls and perspectives, and advise how to approach this kind of analysis.

The following terms are useful in the analysis of rhythm and meter:

• Meter: Meter is often defined as repeating groups of strong and weak beats. Meter is the sort of measuring stick with which we understand and interpret rhythm. This isn’t something we consciously hear, rather, something we feel in our bodies.
• Rhythm: The things we actually hear: melodies and patterns that build the meter which our bodies intuit.
• Syncopation: When emphasis is placed on rhythmic events that happen outside of the beat.