MUSIC THEORY - 3

BAR LINES

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They are important on music writing just because they divide the song into groups of beat. It’s your time frame. It’s where the song is defined by the composer. What you are supposed to play in that period of time (beat).

When we listen to a song and we snap fingers or clap our hands or even stamp our foot what we are doing is very simple.. we are “playing” the song beat you are naturally feeling the music beat and you are just following the musicality that is inside you. It’s a natural instinct. Some people has more difficulty to follow the beat.. but if you try hard to listen to the sound of the drum kick (TUM) or snare (TAH) you will make it.

The beat can be different for each style of music.. Country music are normally a two beat song (2/4). You can feel the “Tum, tah, Tum, tah, Tum, tah, Tum, tah” just like this:

|1..2..|1..2..|1..2..|1..2.| 

When we listen to a Waltz we hear “Tum, tah, tah, Tum, tah, tah, Tum, tah, tah” you will count |1..2..3..|1..2..3..|1..2..3.| that’s a three beat song (3/4). 

When we listen to romantic or rock’n roll we normaly listen to a 4/4 song you will count |1..2..3..4..|1..2..3..4..|1..2..3..4..|1..2..3..4.| Notice that the first beat is always stronger than the others. It’s just a way to establish the first beat on that time frame. 

There are some songs that has a different beat like 5, 6, 7 or 12/8 but they are more complex jazz and experimental music, some techno crazy music. 

This is an example of something without bars. It’s just a sequence of 32 random stars doesn’t mean much:

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Now look at the example of 32 stars divided with bars:

|****|****|****|****|****|****|****|****|


Much more organized and easy to follow, don’t you think so?!

So the bar lines are made to divide the beat and it will make Reading easier..

I hope you enjoyed this topic.

The Gueiros
Family Ministry