What tempo and rhythmic-device concepts does SQA Higher Music examine, and how do you recognise tempo markings and devices such as the drum fill or ostinato by ear?
Tempo and rhythmic devices: identifying tempo markings (Italian terms), accelerando and rallentando, rubato, the drum fill, ostinato and rhythmic ostinato in the Understanding Music question paper.
The tempo and rhythmic-device concepts in SQA Higher Music: tempo markings and changes, rubato, the drum fill, ostinato and related devices, recognised by ear in the listening question paper.
Reviewed by: AI editorial process; not yet individually human-reviewed
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What this dot point is asking
Tempo is the speed of the music; rhythmic devices are the repeated and decorative patterns that drive it. SQA Higher Music examines the Italian tempo markings, the concepts for speeding up and slowing down, expressive flexibility of tempo (rubato), and devices such as the drum fill and the ostinato. The Understanding Music paper asks you to hear tempo and its changes and to identify rhythmic devices, often supplying or recognising the Italian terms. This dot point sets out the tempo and rhythmic-device concepts and how to recognise them by ear.
The answer
The tempo concepts at Higher include the Italian tempo markings (such as andante for a walking pace, allegro for fast, adagio for slow, moderato for moderate) and the concepts for changing tempo: accelerando (gradually speeding up) and rallentando or ritardando (gradually slowing down), plus a tempo (returning to the original speed) and rubato (expressive flexibility of tempo, giving and taking time). The rhythmic-device concepts include the ostinato (a short pattern repeated persistently, called a riff in pop and rock), the rhythmic ostinato (a persistently repeated rhythmic figure), the drum fill (a short drum pattern that links sections), and the syncopated and dotted patterns covered under metre. In the listening paper you hear the tempo, recognise any change of tempo, and identify the devices, naming each with its precise concept term, often the Italian word.
Tempo markings and changes
Tempo is given in Italian terms that you are expected to recognise: adagio (slow), andante (walking pace), moderato (moderate), allegro (fast), presto (very fast). Changes of tempo are named too: accelerando for a gradual speeding up, rallentando (or ritardando) for a gradual slowing down, and a tempo for a return to the original speed after a change. Hearing the direction of a tempo change and supplying the term is a common task.
Rhythmic devices: ostinato and the drum fill
An ostinato is a short musical idea repeated persistently, often as a foundation for the texture; in pop and rock the same idea is called a riff. A rhythmic ostinato is a persistently repeated rhythmic pattern specifically. A drum fill is a short, often improvised drum pattern that fills a gap and links one section to the next, common in pop and rock. These devices give music drive and shape and are frequent listening answers.
Hearing tempo and devices
Tempo questions ask you to judge the speed and notice changes; device questions ask you to spot repetition and linking patterns. Listen for the overall pace and match it to an Italian term; listen for a steady speeding up or slowing down; listen for a short idea that keeps recurring (ostinato) or a drum pattern that links sections (drum fill); and listen for the flexible give-and-take of rubato in expressive playing.
Examples in context
Take a pop excerpt. You might hear a persistent guitar figure repeated throughout (ostinato or riff), a short drum pattern linking the chorus to the next verse (drum fill), and a steady fast tempo (allegro). Three named concepts, three possible marks.
Take a romantic piano piece. You might hear the soloist stretch and compress the timing expressively (rubato), the music gradually slow towards the close (rallentando), and a return to the original pace after a faster passage (a tempo). Naming the rubato, the rallentando and the a tempo secures the marks.
Try this
Q1. What do accelerando and rallentando mean? [2 marks]
- What the marker wants. Accelerando is a gradual speeding up; rallentando (or ritardando) is a gradual slowing down.
Q2. What is an ostinato, and what is it called in pop and rock? [2 marks]
- What the marker wants. A short musical idea repeated persistently; in pop and rock it is called a riff.
Q3. What is rubato? [1 mark]
- What the marker wants. Expressive flexibility of tempo, where the performer subtly gives and takes time while keeping an overall sense of pulse.
A note on sources
This guide is AI-written and not individually human-reviewed. The tempo and rhythmic-device concepts follow SQA's Higher Music course specification; verify current detail against the SQA Higher Music documents at sqa.org.uk.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of SQA exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
SQA Higher specimen1 marksTowards the end of the excerpt the music gradually slows down. Name the concept (or give the Italian term). (1 mark)Show worked answer →
A tempo-change question. Music gradually slowing down is a rallentando (the Italian term), often abbreviated rall.
The marker wants the concept of a gradual slowing, named as "rallentando" (or "ritardando", with the same effect at this level). The clue is the steady, deliberate slowing towards the end, a common way to round off a piece. A candidate who knows the Italian tempo vocabulary supplies the term directly.
A weak answer says "it gets slower" without the concept term, or confuses it with accelerando (getting faster). Learn the paired terms - accelerando (speeding up) and rallentando (slowing down) - and match the heard direction to the right one.
SQA Higher 20211 marksA short rhythmic pattern is repeated persistently throughout the excerpt. Name this device. (1 mark)Show worked answer →
A device-identification question. A short pattern repeated persistently is an ostinato (a rhythmic ostinato when the repeated pattern is rhythmic, or a riff in pop and rock styles).
The marker wants "ostinato" (or rhythmic ostinato). The defining feature is persistent repetition of the same short idea, which drives the music and underpins the texture. A candidate who hears the same figure recurring without change names the device.
A weak answer describes "a repeated bit" without the term, or confuses an ostinato with a sequence (which repeats a pattern at a different pitch, rather than the same pattern over and over). Listen for exact, persistent repetition and write "ostinato".
Related dot points
- Rhythm and metre: identifying simple and compound time, syncopation, dotted and scotch-snap rhythms, and other rhythmic concepts in the Understanding Music question paper.
The rhythm and metre concepts in SQA Higher Music: simple and compound time, syncopation, dotted rhythms, the scotch snap and related patterns, recognised by ear in the listening question paper.
- Signs, terms and the score: reading accidentals, repeat signs, articulation marks, ornaments and Italian performance directions (tempo, dynamics, expression) from notation in the Understanding Music question paper.
The score-reading literacy in SQA Higher Music: reading accidentals, repeat signs, articulation and ornament marks, and Italian performance directions for tempo, dynamics and expression, in the listening question paper.
- Playing techniques and articulation: identifying pizzicato, arco, con sordino, tremolo, legato, staccato and related concepts that change the timbre and attack of a note in the Understanding Music question paper.
The playing-technique and articulation concepts in SQA Higher Music: pizzicato, arco, con sordino, tremolo, legato, staccato and related terms that change a note's timbre or attack, recognised by ear.
- Structures and forms: identifying binary, ternary, rondo, theme and variation, strophic, through-composed and other structural concepts in the Understanding Music question paper.
The structure and form concepts in SQA Higher Music: binary, ternary, rondo, theme and variation, strophic and through-composed forms, and devices such as ground bass and ostinato, recognised by ear.
- Popular, jazz and world styles: identifying blues, jazz, pop, rock, musical (musical theatre) and other popular and world idioms, and their features such as the riff, walking bass and improvisation.
The popular, jazz and world style concepts in SQA Higher Music: recognising blues, jazz, pop, rock and musical theatre and their features (riff, walking bass, improvisation) by ear in the listening question paper.
Sources & how we know this
- Higher Music Course Specification — SQA (2025)
- Higher Music question paper and marking instructions — SQA (2025)