Introduction
Rhythm is commonly referred to as movement brought about by organizing musical elements systematically and it can include pace, tempo and meter. According to Findlay (5), “tempo is the rate of speed in which a composition is played,” while rhythm can be defined as “a particular arrangement of note lengths in a piece of music.”
Some songs demand slow tempo while others demand fast tempo, and incase the wrong tempo is applied to a song, it may destroy the meaning of that song. Rhythm is an element of music, in that, it contributes to structure; music is also known to contribute to the healing of emotions through its soothing rhythm.
Autistic patients mostly respond to music as it causes a relief to them; however, this is made possible using rhythm, which contributes to the flow of music. Rhythm is always evident in the falling of raindrops or clapping of hands, as it is made up of repeated sounds.
A rhythm is also evident in our heartbeat, while walking, and tapping toes, among others, as these acts respond to rhythm. A rhythm is accompanied by beats that may be longer, shorter, softer, or louder depending on the type of music (Goodall).
How is rhythm used in the control of tension and repose?
Music can at times be pleasant to the listener, while at times, it may seem very unpleasant, depending on the sound of it. The pitch, duration, tone, color, and dynamics are some of the properties that are associated with music.
The duration of music is essential as it refers to “the length of time the music lasts,” while the pitch refers to “the highness or lowness of the tone and it is determined by its vibrations” (Elements of music, Para. 6). When vibrations are fast, the pitch is normally higher, while when the rate of vibrations is slow, the pitch remains low.
Dynamics relate to the degree of loudness or softness in music, crescendo is a sudden increase in sound in terms of loudness, which in return contributes to the rise of the pitch.
The tone color is normally evident when distinguishing between two related instruments, such as the flute and the trumpet. Rhythm is one of the elements of music and it is composed of accent, meter, syncopation, beat, and tempo.
A beat divides music into units of time and it can be applied in the clapping of hands, flicking of fingers or tapping of the feet, therefore, responding to a certain beat. The rhythm of any music is essential, as it portrays the personality of the melody.
The meter represents the repetition of both strong and weak beats, while in cases where the beats are fixed into a fixed number, it is referred to as a measure. A duple meter consists of two beats, for instance, 12, 12, while a measure of three beats is referred to as a triple measure, such as, 123, 123.
The presence of different types of meters contributes to the increased level of conflict and tension in music, which causes an increased level of excitement for the audiences or listeners. Rhythm also consists of an accent and syncopation, which involves the stressing of notes, where one note can be played more loudly than the rest, when the accented notes are released where no one expects, and then syncopation is formed.
Tempo is the speed of the beat that creates the pace of music, in which a fast tempo symbolizes energy and excitement while a slow tempo relates to a calm mood. Changes that take place in tempo contribute to the rate of tension or repose.
Jazz musicians bring about the polyphonic texture, which consists of many sounds, thus having competing melodies and making the music more exciting. Charles Ive’s symphony no.3 was a great satisfaction when played, as it brought about tension and even won an award in 1947 due to the creation of tension in music (Ives and Owen, pp315).
An Ostinato involves repetition of a phrase in music thus creating a rhythmic pattern. A composer can hereby create repose by slowing the pulse, lowering the volume, and ensuring that the sound is of quality. Moreover, the use of ostinato repeatedly may yield to the creation of tension or repose at some point.
According to Tuck (Para 5), rhythm can only occur when a variety of sounds that differ in duration are present; however, a melodic rhythm is a superimposed pattern. Nevertheless, learning of rhythm can be achieved through counting aloud or tapping of the feet.
According to Little and Jenne (pp25), “counter-rhythms create further interest, heightened tension and take place on any level of rhythmic activity.” The author elaborates further that two voices of music may form syncopation, and a dance rhythm can take a specific time, and the length of time taken is determined by the rhythm and harmony of the music.
One of the songs that represents tension is the Coltrane’s gospel song, a love supreme that involves high pitches at a fast pace, while the song is accompanied by drums, piano and bass, thus yielding to a repose.
Pace in music refers to the rate at which the activity is moving, hence the increase in the rate of volume or pulse increases the rate of tension. However, repose is achieved due to the slow pace and low pitches. When unequal time levels are applied in music, it may contribute to tension. Rhythmic patterns play a vital rile in music as they contribute to the tension and repose factors.
Tonality can be expressed as a source of tension and repose. Tonality therefore results from repetition and resolution, however, too much of repetition may end up being boring. When a listener’s expectations are met via a song, repose is created; however, too much of it only leads to tension.
For example, the winter journey song by Franz Schubert, which begins with a minor scale, and then moves on to a major scale and finally to a minor scale once again. When a rhythm is stable, it yields a norm for the listeners, and the tension is suppressed.
When there is increased information that needs to be processed by a listener, a high level of tension can arise. Nevertheless, repose is as a result of low intensity, low ranges, and short lengths of music. Moreover, texture, form, rhythm, harmony, and melody can be described as the elements of music.
Jazz music yields to tension and repose for its listeners due to the unpredictable taunting of notes that they cause, hence increasing tension in their music. Thus, jazz music proves to be rather satisfying than other music; however, it is due to the different types of rhythm that different types of people are satisfied by different types of music.
This is evident in cases where some people love rock music, others jazz, blues, or classics, depending on the effect each of these music types have on them. Some listeners define rock music as hard and thus causing severe tension compared to classics and blues, which some people view as soothing and have a repose effects, hence appropriate to listen to when one is emotionally down or stressed.
Conclusion
Rhythm is not just an element of music and dance; rather, it is also evident in our footsteps, raindrops, clapping and tapping of the feet among others. However, rhythm contributes greatly to the repose and tension of the song, as rhythm is as a result of the pitches, tones and repetition.
Therefore, when a song satisfies the listeners due to its repetitive nature and tonism, the listener achieves repose due to the stability of the music, while too much of the repetitiveness and a combination of many tones together may cause tension.
Some types of music such as jazz are described as satisfying to the listeners as they bring about unpredictable tones, thus, making the whole music interesting. When the right elements of music are applied, the result is normally positive, as listeners tend to respond to the music through dancing or humming.
However, instilling the wrong elements in music may affect its rhythm, repose, and tension of the crowd.
Work Cited
“Elements of music.” Elements of music/ properties of music. N.d. Web.
Findlay, Elsa. Rhythm and movement: applications of Dalcroze eurhythmics. CA: Alfred Music Publishing. 1971.
Goodall, Howard. How music works. N.d. Web.
Ives, Charles and Owen, Clarke. Selected correspondence of Charles Ives. CA: University of California Press Publisher. 2007.
Little, Meredith and Jenne, Natalie. Dance and the music of J.S. Bach. Edition2. IN: Indiana University Press publisher. 2001.
Tuck, Kelvin. Rhythm & Meter; Difficult to Teach? 1995. Web.