Chapter Three

1. Rhythm is most closely related to

a. amplitude
b. duration
c. frequency
d. timbre

2. Which of the following are the slowest moving notes?

a. sixteenth notes
b. eighth notes
c. quarter notes

3. The underlying pulse of music is known as the

a. accent
b. beat
c. subdivision
d. tempo

4. A stream of sixteenth notes against a quarter-note beat is a _______ subdivision.

a. duple
b. triple
c. quadruple

5. The number of beats in a measure defines the music’s

a. rhythm
b. meter
c. tempo

6. When meters are longer and more complex we use the term

a. metric cycle
b. quadruple meter
c. syncopation

7. An accented note that falls between beats is called a

a. subdivision
b. syncopation
c. free rhythm

8. The rate at which beats pass in music is called

a. beat
b. meter
c. tempo

9. When music is nonmetric we say it is in

a. free rhythm
b. tempo
c. syncopation

10. A grouping of beats in Western music is called a

a. measure
b. meter
c. subdivision

Listening

1. Listen to disk 1, track 20, “Cielito Lindo” (Mexican mariachi).

1. This piece is in
a. duple meter
b. triple meter
c. quadruple meter
d. seven-beat meter

2. The accent pattern for the meter of this piece is arranged as follows (S=strong beat, w=weak beat):
a. S w w S w w…
b. S w w w S w w w…
c. S w S w S w S w…
d. S w w S w S w w S w…

3. This piece has
a. a very fast tempo
b. a tempo that changes from very slow to very fast
c. a medium tempo
d. an inconsistent tempo

4. Listen to the trumpet part of the introduction. We hear
a. a rhythm made up exclusively of steady quarter notes
b. music played entirely in free rhythm
c. a rhythm that features a combination of notes of different length
d. a rhythm that repeats every four notes

5. Which of the following is NOT true of the strummed instruments (guitar-like instruments) in the musical background?

a. they maintain a steady rhythm and meter
b. they incorporate rests in their rhythmic pattern
c. they utilize lots of syncopation to add interest
d. they help to provide a rhythmic foundation underneath the singing parts

6. Which of the following is an INCORRECT correlate to the music term?
a. Pitch is equivalent to frequency
b. Dynamics is equivalent to amplitude
c. Tone color or sound quality is equivalent to timbre
d. Rhythm is equivalent to the length of a piece of music

7. Listen to disk 1, track 12, “Alla Hai.” This piece
a. has a pulse but no meter
b. is organized in duple meter
c. changes tempo throughout
d. features a low-pitched drum whose part is extremely syncopated

8. Listen to opening of disk 1, track 15 “Iraqi Café (takht).” The rhythmic organization of this excerpt is best described as _________
a. duple meter
b. triple meter
c. free rhythm
d. highly syncopated

Essay

1. List and describe the four basic properties of tones and discuss how each of these functions in relation to musical sound.

2. By drawing from musical techniques discussed in this chapter, find three different ways in which you can change the feeling of “The Alphabet Song.”

3. What are accents, syncopation, and tempo? Describe how a musical composition can be affected by these elements.