A rhythmic unit is a durational pattern which occupies a period of time equivalent to a pulse or pulses on an underlying metric level, as opposed to a rhythmic gesture. Rhythmic units may be classified as:
- Metric
- even-note patterns, such as steady eighth notes or pulses.
- Intrametric
- confirming patterns, such as dotted eighth-sixteenth note and swing patterns.
- Contrametric
- non-confirming, or syncopated patterns.
- Extrametric
- irregular patterns, such as tuplets.
- (DeLone et al. (Eds.), 1975, chap. 3)
References
- DeLone et al. (Eds.) (1975). Aspects of Twentieth-Century Music. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall. ISBN 0-13-049346-5.
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