UNIT 3. DURATION 1º E.S.O.

1. BEAT:

The beat is the pulse of the music, and it is usually regular. The beat can be constant but sometimes
it has sudden changes to make music more expressive, going from a faster beat to a slower one, or
the opposite.

2. NOTE VALUES:

Notes values are the symbols that express the duration of sound. We have to distinguish between
notes and notes values: Notes are the name of the sounds (pitch) and notes values their duration.
There are different note values:

The relationship between note values is half. For example, a half note lasts half as long as a

whole note, and a quarter lasts half as long as a half note.

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Activity 1a: Complete the blanks with a note value:

Activity 1b: Complete with a number these operations:

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-A Half equals ........... Eighths.
-A Whole is equivalent to .................... Sixteenths.
-Two Quarters equals ............ Sixteenths.
-An Eighth is equivalent to ...................Sixteenths.

3. REST:

As you can remember, rest is the name used in music to refer to silence. So, in consequence, rests
represent the duration of silence in music. There is a rest for each note value:

4. PARTS OF A NOTE VALUE:

We can find three different parts in a note value, but not every note value has these three parts.

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5. TIME SIGNATURE:

Time signatures divide time in equal parts and are written as a fraction with a top number and a
bottom number.
The top number (numerator) indicates the number of beats in each measure (after each meausure a
barline is needed) and the bottom number (denominator) indicates the kind of note value used as a
unit of time. Number 4 as a denominator represents a quarter note and number 8 represents an
eighth note.

-Examples:

a) Four-four Time: It means that there are four beats of quarter in a measure.

b) Nine-eight Time:

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Activity 2a: Write barlines where needed:

5.1-TYPES OF TIME SIGNATURES:

-Simple time signatures:

Depending on how you accent the beats, there are different metres. Every beat is divided into two
parts.

-Binary: accent every two beats.

-Ternary: accent every three beats.

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-Quaternary: accent every four beats.

-Compound time signatures:

-Binary:accent every two beats.

-Ternary:accent every three beats.

-Quaternary:: accent every four beats.

Activity 2b: Complete these measures with note values:

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6. NOTE LENGTH MODIFIERS:

These are symbols which extend the duration of notes values or rests.

-Dot: It is a dot placed on the right of a note vale, adding an extra half of its duration.

-Tie: It is a curved line which links the head of two or more notes values with the same pitch,
adding their duration. It can connect notes in different measures.

Examples:

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-Fermata (also known as pause, hold): It is a semicircle with a dot in the middle which extends the
duration of the note value or rest as much as the performer or conductor wants.

-Activity 3a: Complete the blanks like the example given:

-Activity 3b: Link the equivalences:

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-Activity 3c: Choose the right note value:

-Activity 3d: Write the resulting note value:

-Activity 3e: Correct the mistakes:

7. TEMPO:

Tempo is an italian word that refer to the speed of music.

It us indicated at the beginning of a piece with an italian term, or with metronomic indications
(numbers).

-Tempo terms:

Largo: so slow (40-60 bpm) * beats per minute

Adagio: slow (66-75 bpm)

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Andante: calm (67-108 bpm)

Moderato: a bit faster (108-120 bpm)

Allegro: fast (120-168 bpm)

Presto: very fast (168-2008 bpm)

-Metronomic indications:

These indications reflect the number of beat per minute. For example, if the indication is = 60,
that means one beat per second (60 quarters in 1minute/60 seconds).

The metronome is a device that indicates the number of beats per minute. It has a pendulum that
produces a steady pulse to help musicians play in time.

The word metronome comes from Greek (metron- meaure-- nomos-- regulating law). Is was created
in Germany in 1815 by Johann Maelzel and was firstly used by Ludwig van Beethoven.

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-Activity 4: Listen to the following pieces and complete the table, and choose if the tempo is FAST,
MODERATE OR SLOW.

Symphony nº 101. "The Clock". Trisch-Trasch Polka. Oboe concerto.

Which italian term would you Which italian term would you Which italian term would you
use for it?............................... use for it?............................... use for it?...............................

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KEY WORDS:

Beat: pulso
Note values: figuras
Rest: silencio
Head: cabeza de la nota
Stem: plica
Flag: corchete
Time signature: compás
Measure: compás (espacio)
Barline: línea divisoria
Dot: puntillo
Tie: ligadura
Fermata: calderón
Metronome: metrónomo
Device: aparato
Steady: estable
Musicians: músicos

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