Here are some basic Rhythm Terms that we use in music class:
Rhythm
Beat – the underlying pulse of music
Meter – the grouping of beats into groups of twos and threes
1. Syncopation – a rhythmic device in which the stress or
accent falls on the weak beat or the weak part of a beat.
Ex: 
2. Time Signature
The top number tell us how many beats are in a measure
The bottom number tells us what note gets one beat
Ex: 2
4
2 = alla breve (cut time)
2
4 = C (common time)
4
12/11/2002