time
The rhythmic organisation of music, including tempo, meter, and the placement of sounds in duration.
In Depth
Time in music encompasses everything related to when sounds occur and how long they last. It includes tempo (the speed of the beat), meter (the grouping of beats), rhythm (the pattern of long and short sounds), and duration (the length of individual notes and rests).
Keeping time — maintaining a steady pulse — is a fundamental musical skill. Musicians speak of having good time when they can maintain a consistent tempo without rushing or dragging. In jazz, the rhythm section (drums, bass, piano) keeps time while soloists play freely above it. The concept of being in time (with the beat) versus being out of time (against it) is central to all ensemble performance.
Miles Davis once told his drummer Tony Williams: Don't play what's there — play what's not there. The spaces between beats, he believed, were as important as the beats themselves.