What’s rhythm? If you listen for it, you can find rhythm just about anywhere: in a basketball being dribbled, raindrops falling, clapping of your hands or your heart beat. Rhythm is what makes music move and flow. Rhythm is made up of sounds and silences. These sounds and silences are put together to form patterns of sound, which are repeated to create rhythm. A rhythm has a steady beat, but it may also have many different kinds of beats. Some beats may be stronger or longer or shorter or softer than others. A song can use many different rhythms.
In addition to Rhythm we must also think about Tempo. Tempo is the speed of music. It’s a steady constant pulse, like your heart beat. Tempo can be slow or fast or in-between, and it can change during a song. Tempo influences how music sounds and feels. The same song will sound different if you play it slower or faster.
