The musical rhythm is made up of some elements that give it structure and meaning, which organize the enormous variety of possibilities and forms that the melodies and harmonies of any composition can take.
Some musical figures Each sound we hear in a song or piece of music has a specific duration that results from basically combining the tempo and value of each note. With the help of musical measures and other rhythmic notations, we will know how long each sound lasts thanks to what we know as rhythmic or musical figures. Let's see what they are and what they look like.
What is a musical figure?
A musical figure is a relative rhythmic value. Therefore, to represent the duration of musical sounds, these figures are used that indicate portions of musical time, so to speak. Their absolute durations will basically depend on the tempo of the piece or the interpretation made of it. A half note, or an eighth note, or any of the other possible figures will last what we usually call two beats or half a beat, and the exact duration of that beat to which we refer will be defined, by the beat, by the tempo of the work. , as we have said. A quarter note can last a second or half a second or three tenths of a second, etc… Like the rest of the rhythmic figures, it depends on the tempo, the beat and even the execution of the music in each case, that is, its values are defined but Their durations are relative. Musical figures are part of a whole system of symbols that are used to represent music visually on staves, the so-called musical notation.
What is a musical figure like?
The three characteristic elements of a musical figure are: The headthe rounded part that will indicate the height, that is, the tone of the note. The plicawhich is the vertical segment that can extend above or below the head. He claspthe indicator that the note lasts less than a beat and can be grouped with others with horizontal lines.
Parts of a musical figure
Types of musical figures
We can divide musical figures into two groups: The sounds
The silences
The songs and instrumental works that we hear continually are made up of these two types of musical elements.
Most used musical figures
The figures that you will most commonly find in scores, scripts and musical roles, in general, are: roundwhich in a standard 4/4 time signature will last the four beats of the measure, the same as its equivalent rest. The whitewhich in the same situation, will last two times. The blackwhich will last one beat of each measure of 4/4. The quaverwhich will last half time. The semiquaveronly a fourth time. The fusawho will see her little, an eighth of the time. and the semifusawhich you will encounter even less, will last one-sixteenth of the time.
Name | Figure | Silence | In 4/4
In reality, there are a few more, such as dotted figures that add half the time of the figure they accompany, triplets and others, but these lines serve as an introduction to the fascinating world of rhythm, musical time and how try to capture it on sheet music, paper or any visual support that allows it.
Conclusions
In short, rhythmic figures are representations that help us write music, remember it, and understand it faithfully, an important part of music theory. Being clear about its values and its role in a piece of music helps us enormously to remember it, understand it and, of course, interpret it. As we have seen, in addition, each rhythmic figure has its sound version and its partner that remains silent. Although, sometimes, we are not aware, music consists of that alternation between what really sounds and the breaks or pauses that exist between those sounds. Sound is just as important as silence, we must not forget it. If, in addition, we want to compose our own music or our songs, musical figures are one of the basic elements with which we are going to deal at all times. It is another way of approaching the musical phenomenon, of internalizing that magic that runs through the songs and any type of melody or accompaniment, of feeling that something special happens in them and makes sense for us and connects us with things that are essential for us humans: expression, communication or desire. Let's make songs and music, sing, dance. There are few better things to do in this world. #mailpoet_form_3 .mailpoet_form { } #mailpoet_form_3 .mailpoet_column_with_background { padding: 10px; } #mailpoet_form_3 .mailpoet_form_column:not(:first-child) { margin-left: 20px; } #mailpoet_form_3 .mailpoet_paragraph { line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 20px; } #mailpoet_form_3 .mailpoet_segment_label, #mailpoet_form_3 .mailpoet_text_label, #mailpoet_form_3 .mailpoet_textarea_label, #mailpoet_form_3 .mailpoet_select_label, #mailpoet_form_3 .mailpoet_radio_label, #mailpoet_form_3 .mailpoet_checkbox_label, 3 .mailpoet_list_label, #mailpoet_form_3 .mailpoet_date_label { display: block; font-weight: normal; } #mailpoet_form_3 .mailpoet_text, #mailpoet_form_3 .mailpoet_textarea, #mailpoet_form_3 .mailpoet_select, #mailpoet_form_3 .mailpoet_date_month, #mailpoet_form_3 .mailpoet_date_day, #mailpoet_form_3 .mailpoet_date_year, #mailpoet_form_3 .mailpoet_date { display :block; } #mailpoet_form_3 .mailpoet_text, #mailpoet_form_3 .mailpoet_textarea { width: 200px; } #mailpoet_form_3 .mailpoet_checkbox { } #mailpoet_form_3 .mailpoet_submit { } #mailpoet_form_3 .mailpoet_divider { } #mailpoet_form_3 .mailpoet_message { } #mailpoet_form_3 .mailpoet_form_loading { width: 30px; text-align: center; line-height: normal; } #mailpoet_form_3 .mailpoet_form_loading > span { width: 5px; height: 5px; background-color: #5b5b5b; }#mailpoet_form_3{border: 1px solid #fcb900;border-radius: 40px;text-align: center;}#mailpoet_form_3 form.mailpoet_form {padding: 20px;}#mailpoet_form_3{width: 70%;}#mailpoet_form_3 .mailpoet_message {margin : 0; padding: 0 20px;}#mailpoet_form_3 .mailpoet_paragraph.last {margin-bottom: 0} @media (max-width: 500px) {#mailpoet_form_3 {background-image: none;}} @media (min-width: 500px) { #mailpoet_form_3 .last .mailpoet_paragraph:last-child {margin-bottom: 0}} @media (max-width: 500px) {#mailpoet_form_3 .mailpoet_form_column:last-child .mailpoet_paragraph:last-child {margin-bottom: 0}} Please leave this field emptyDo you write songs or would you like to?
I have read and accept the Privacy Policy With the Guide «The journey of a song» as a gift Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.