Download Beat-Measures-Bar Lines

Beat/Tempo/Measures/Bar Lines
In music, the BEAT is the basic unit of time, it’s the pulse or the steady click that we hear underlying a piece
of music, and TEMPO is an indication of speed– the quickness or slowness at which we hear beats occur. This
Tempo is often expressed by indicating the number of beats per minute. In popular use, the beat can refer to a
variety of related concepts including: tempo, meter, rhythm and groove. This rhythm in music is characterized
by a repeating sequence of stressed and unstressed beats (often called “strong” and “weak”) divided into even
measurements of time, each containing a single repeated pattern of beats which occur at a steady tempo. Most
often, we hear songs with patterns of 4 beats grouped together, although 3 or 2 are also very common, along with
multiples of 3 (groups of 6, 9 or 12).
So how do we keep track of where we are while playing (or writing) a piece of music?
The answer is: It is easiest to keep our place by recognizing this repetitive pattern of stressed and unstressed beats
and mentally grouping each repeating pattern of beats into a MEASURE.
MEASURES or BARS
In musical notation, a MEASURE (or BAR as it is also referred to) is a segment of time defined by a given
number of beats, each of which are assigned a particular note value. Dividing music into measures provides
regular reference points to pinpoint locations within a piece of music.
Bar line
Bar line
&
Measure
Bar line
Measure
Bar line
Measure
3
&4
In the example above, you’ll see what this looks like in musical notation: measure of time is separated by a vertical
bar line. Typically, a musical piece consists of several measures of the same length, with each measure containing the
same number of beats.
The word Bar is somewhat more common in British English, and the word Measure is more common in
American English, although musicians generally understand both usages. In American English, although the
words bar and measure are often used interchangeably, the correct use of the word ‘bar’ refers only to the vertical
line itself while the word ‘measure’ refers to the beats contained between bar-lines. It’s common in international
usage, it is equally correct to speak of bar numbers and measure numbers, e.g. bars 9–16 or measures 9–16.
& 44
22
43
42
38
We define the number of beats contained in each measure through the use of a TIME SIGNATURE.
& 86
98
12
8
See also: TIME SIGNATURES
ALTERNATE BAR LINES and ENDINGS
& 44
&c
Let’s talk about different types of bar lines you’ll see in music notation.
=
This is our normal Bar Line. As we’ve seen, this divides our song into measures. (Originally, the
word bar derived from the vertical lines drawn through the staff to mark off metrical units and
=not the bar-like dimensions of a typical measure of music.)
& 22
&C
There’s also a Double Bar Line or Double Bar. It consists of two single bar lines drawn close
together and it is commonly used to mark the ending of one section of music and the beginning
of the next section. For instance, you might find a Double Bar Line at the end of a Verse section
of music, before transitioning to a Chorus section. These are also often found in conjunction
with a key change, a time signature change, or at the point of a Repeat Instruction.
This single bar line followed by a thicker bar line is an Ending Bar Line which indicates the end
of a piece or movement.
..
..
&
&
..
..
A Forward Repeat Bar, (a thick Bar Line followed by a thinner one with two dots to the right)
indicates the beginning of a section of music which will be repeated. Remember where you see
this mark– you will be jumping back to this point in the music to repeat the section which follows!
A Backward Repeat Bar, (two dots followed by a thinner Bar Line with a thick one to the right)
indicates that before proceeding, you must go back to where you previously saw the Forward
Repeat Bar, and play the music between these two bars one more time. (If no Forward Repeat
Bar is present, it is assumed that you should repeat from the beginning of the piece.
..
..
1.
Let’s look at a short example:
1
1
1.
2
3
4
2
3
4
..
..
2.
2.
5
6
5
6
Notice the Brackets above measures 4 and 5 in the example above, which contain a numeral 1 and 2. These brackets
indicate 1st and 2nd Endings. You should play through the 1st Ending and jump back to the Forward Repeat Bar
but when you reach the 1st Ending again, you will skip over the 1st ending and only play the 2nd Ending.
So in the above example you should play the measure sequence:
1 - 2 - 3 - 4 (repeat back to) 2 - 3 (skip the 1st ending) and play measures 5 - 6.