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Written by Anonymous@agapemuse.org
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Monday, 19 September 2005 |
A note about some of the sources of this material:
All rhythm is pulse and time, sound and silence. Everywhere.
Rhythm is rhythm. Rhythm is defined in part by an events' temporal
relationship to another event. In the context of music, the events are
notes and pulses. This is true regardless of the cultural music one is
examining. All rhythm can be explored and understood in the way notes
relate to each other and to the underlying pulse.
The work posted at this site is (among other things) an exploration of
rhythm. From a cultural point of reference, the material draws from
some underlying characteristics that are predominant in specific
cultural music. Here are a couple of vague descriptions to serve as an
example:
- Middle eastern percussion music for dumbek/darabuka/tabla utilizes
clusters of "tek" (high tones) type voices in a block typically
surrounding, leading up to, or leading away from, a moment of gravity
in the phrase.
- Cuban bata rhythmic material often uses small repeated cycles or cells
in repitition with variation involving moving or modifying a single moment
in time over larger periods.
- Traditional West African rhythmic material utilizes orbits/cycles of
different sizes as a means of propelling material forward and
providing different intensity levels of tension and resolution.
- A form of traditional Funk/R&B/Modern popular music in the United
States utilizes asymmetrical application of the kick or bass drum in
order to mark and emphasize gravity in a measure of sequence of
measures.
Other observations or rules of thumb pertaining to rhythmic material development:
- There is often a correlation between frequency (pitch) and frequency (notes).
- Assymetry is more easily grasped when compared to a pulse
- Tension is often the product of unpredictability. The predictable elements of
material are essential to generating opportunities for tension.
There are certainly other conclusions one can come to by using a
different point of view to analyze the material and these are
obviously generalizations. They only apply where they apply. They are
useful as a means of discussing the qualities of material as well as
exploring different combinations and extensions of these ideas for the
purposes of developing ones own material. My work is a synthesis of
many of the devices like these I have observed in various percussion
and music traditions from around the world as well as more general global characteristics.
One of the functions of this site is to serve as an outlet for
small unambitious pieces. One of the wonderful things about rhythm is
that, like harmony, it inherently has the capability to take us to
other places. There is no specific need to develop something complex or
sophisticated in order for this to happen. There is something
stimulating just about the sound of the instruments, the textures, and
the energy.
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 14 January 2006 )
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