Simple meters: beats subdivided into two parts (2/4, 3/4, 4/4)Ĭompound meters: beats subdivided into three parts (6/8, 9/8, 12/8)Īsymmetrical meters: meters with an uneven number of subdivisions (7/4, 5/8) Non-metric, unmetrical: free rhythm, no discernable time Meter: groups of beats in a recurring pattern with accentuation on strong beats Measures or bars: a metrical unit separated by lines in musical notation Phrase: a musical unit with a terminal point, or cadence. Motive: a short pattern of 3-5 notes (melodic, rhythmic, harmonic or any combination of these) that is repetitive Range: the distance between the lowest and highest pitches, usually referred to as narrow Click on Music Reference, then Oxford Music Online.Ĭontour: the shape of the melody as rising or fallingĬonjunct: stepwise melodic motion, moving mostly by step in intervals of a 2ndĭisjunct: melodic motion in intervals larger than a 2nd, often with a large number of wide skips Explanations and musical examples can be found through the Oxford Music Online, accessed through the Potsdam Library page at.
