# Rhythms used in Classical Music?



## hendrixchord

Anyone have a good online source or book with all the Rhythms used in classical music
listed(named) by the type of Rhythm in notation? Harmonic Rhythms?

Thanks!


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## GraemeG

No disrespect intended, but this might be the funniest question I've ever read.
"Classical" rhythms are not formulaic. They rarely last longer than a few bars in any case (Bolero - and a few other extremist works excepted). Rhythms come and go - sometimes they're not supposed to be noticed at all. Sometimes they dominate - see Beethoven 5 - but the more you examine the piece, the more you find them, even when you weren't looking. And sometimes they're not recognisable. The main themes in the first and last movement of Dvorak's 8th are the same, but you don't recognise it because of the tempo change. The minuet of Haydn's 92nd has a rhythm you can't count, because Haydn writes it in such a way as to fool the ear.

In short, the book of 'classical rhythms' would be too heavy for anyone to lift...
cheers,
Graeme


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## hendrixchord

Yes, this is why I am asking  I have had no luck finding this sort of book..

I want this book!  thanks for the reply


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## Weston

I agree with all that has been said. Why in the world would composers restrict themselves to rhythmic formulas? But there are formulas for classical dance rhythms however, such as minuet, gigue, passapied, allemande, waltz, etc. This is the only case in which a specific rhythm would be required, but even then it is not cut in stone.

What hendrixchord needs is a computer program that generates all 179.63 trillion rhythmic combinations possible with each time signature, 4/5, 3/4, 5/5, 6/8, etc, and then name them all and put them in a catalog for us all to reference. (Okay, I pulled that number out of thin air - I haven't done the math, but I do suspect it is up in the hundreds of billions anyway.)


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## hendrixchord

Ok cool, anyone have some notated minuet, gigue, passapied, 
allemande, waltz, etc Rhythms?

Thanks again!


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## mueske

hendrixchord said:


> Ok cool, anyone have some notated minuet, gigue, passapied,
> allemande, waltz, etc Rhythms?
> 
> Thanks again!


Wikipedia has some examples.


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## Weston

Here is a link to get you started for different types of classical dance music, but it is only a a grain of sand on the beach. You might also look into a music dictionary at a library for a listing of different historical dance types.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baroque_music#The_Baroque_suite


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## hendrixchord

Yes! this will get me started  thanks guys!


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## altiste

I have a good book called "Modern rhythmic Notation" by Gardner Read, but it's a book that is intended to cover all the stuff beyond the basics. Any rhythm that has been thought of will be found in "classical" music if "classical" means "contemporary classical" as well. The book I have discusses various alternatives in expressing in notation a given rhythm; that inevitably arises as things get more complex - opinions on the best way to write it down are going to vary.


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## Huilunsoittaja

I'm into dance music, that is, Ballet music or orchestral dances. They all differ from each other by rhythm and emphasis on certain beats.
Favorite kinds of dances:
1. Waltz- In 3, first beat is emphasized.
2. Mazurka- In 3, second beat is emphasized
3. Polonaise- In fast 6 or slow 3, third beat is emphasized (if in 3)
4. Tarantelle- In quadruple compound (6/8 or 12/8)


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## Argus

For a condensed masterclass on rhythm just listen to Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring. Alternatively, try Ionisation by Varese. Although these are quite atypical of the preceding classical style.

For traditional dance forms check out all these.


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## hendrixchord

Thanks a Ton guys! great information. 


are there any certain Rhythms that are associated with specific composers?


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## GraemeG

Bruckner was fond of a 4/4 rhythm that consisted of two crotchets and then a crotchet triplet. (For north america, use quarter-note for crotchet.) This is found scattered throughout the 4th and 6th symphonies.

And of course Beethoven wrote the 5th symphony and large chunks of the 4th piano concerto using a famous ryhthm; in 2/4 with a quaver rest, three quavers and a crotchet. Consecutive opus numbers too, he really was obsessed...
cheers,
G


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## Weston

I believe Brahms is known for polyrhythms, playing 3 notes against 2 or 4 or some such.


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## Zanralotta

Weston said:


> I believe Brahms is known for polyrhythms, playing 3 notes against 2 or 4 or some such.


God, yes. I've played the first 3 Symphonies and the Double Concerto and 2 against 3/3 against 4 happens so often in Brahms' music...


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