The Rhythm Basics

The rhythm of Joy to the World and Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy demonstrates the similarities in the two pieces, which I find highly interesting. Both pieces are more partial to the use of eighth and sixteenth notes than any other rhythm, and then followed by quarter notes. The use of the shorter notes adds to the melodies and overall sounds of the individual pieces by making them have a fuller and richer sound. Watts uses more dotted rhythms in his piece, while Tchaikovsky has much more rests and very little dotted notes. This changes the sound obviously quite a lot. While, the dotted rhythms continue on in Joy to the World, making it smooth and majestic as it is intended, the rests in Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy add both anticipation and more of a plot feel to the piece.