Tempo and Rhythm Terms

Start with familiar terms

The flashcards on pulse and time are a starting point for this section. They ask about pulse, simple and compound time, and regular, irregular and free rhythm. Go through the cards and see which terms you can explain before looking at the answers.

Next, use the Rhythm flashcard deck to explore accents, beats, bar lines and changing meter. The Rhythm and Metre deck brings tempo terms together with ideas such as syncopation, cross rhythm and polyrhythm. Compare the terms across the decks as you study.

Move between the quiz and maps

The Rhythmic terminology quiz includes anacrusis, described as an upbeat before the first strong beat of a bar. Try it after working through some flashcards, then return to the relevant cards to check any terms you want to study again.

The GCSE Music mind map groups tempo, metre and rhythm vocabulary, including anacrusis, augmentation, time signatures and tempo terms. The Rhythm mind map also covers tempo, time signatures, simple and compound time, and cross rhythms. Use either map to see related terms together, then test your recall with the quiz or flashcards.

Place the terms in the unit

Tempo and Rhythm Terms is a section of the Notation and Rhythm unit in Music. The resources offer different ways to work with vocabulary in that section: cards for individual terms, maps for connected ideas and a quiz for checking recall.

For a closer look at tempo vocabulary, the flashcards on tempi include terms from largo and andante to allegro and vivace. The Higher Rhythm / Tempo cards include augmentation, diminution, irregular time signatures and triplets. Choose a map to explore alongside a deck that suits what you are studying.