free rhythm
- noun
- Specialized
:
ritmo libre
- Melodic high leaps and free rhythm are the primary characteristics of mountain songs.
Examples
-
The piece was marked by a free rhythm, allowing the musicians to interpret the tempo as they felt fit.
-
The composer experimented with free rhythm to create a unique sound in his latest symphony.
-
In her dance recital, she used free rhythm to express her emotions without the constraints of beats.
Antonyms
- Specialized
A regular pattern of beats in a song or dance that gives music its timing
How Regular
1
3.4
- Specialized
2
8.0
- Specialized
1
9.5
- Specialized
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun phrase is a straightforward adjective + noun composition: 'free' (without constraints) modifies 'rhythm' (pattern of beats), so the meaning 'a rhythm not bound by regular meter or recurring accents' is directly derivable from the parts. This compositional pattern is common cross-linguistically and follows normal English modifier semantics, so a B1 learner who knows both words would very likely infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
The term free rhythm comes from music where free means 'not fixed' and rhythm means the beat, and singers or players would let the sound follow the words and breath instead of a steady beat. So today free rhythm means music 'without a fixed beat' that can 'flow naturally'.