Abstract
Most approaches to musical rhythm, whether in music theory, music psychology, or musical neuroscience, presume that musical rhythms are based on isochronous (temporally equidistant) beats and/or beat subdivisions. However, rhythms that are based on non-isochronous, or unequal patterns of time are prominent in the music of Southeast Europe, the Near East and Southern Asia, and in the music of Africa and the African diaspora. The present study examines one such style found in contemporary Malian jembe percussion music. A corpus of 15 representative performances of three different pieces (“Manjanin,” “Maraka,” and “Woloso”) containing ~43,000 data points was analyzed. Manjanin and Woloso are characterized by non-isochronous beat subdivisions (a short IOI followed by two longer IOIs), while Maraka subdivisions are quasi-isochronous. Analyses of onsets and asynchronies show no significant differences in timing precision and coordination between the isochronously timed Maraka vs. the non-isochronously timed Woloso performances, though both pieces were slightly less variable than non-isochronous Manjanin. Thus, the precision and stability of rhythm and entrainment in human music does not necessarily depend on metric isochrony, consistent with the hypothesis that isochrony is not a biologically-based constraint on human rhythmic behavior. Rather, it may represent a historically popular option within a variety of culturally contingent options for metric organization.
Highlights
The rhythms of human music and dance are significantly more complex, more diverse, and more flexible than the rhythmic behaviors found in any other species
Most approaches to musical rhythm, whether in ethnomusicology (Waterman, 1952; Arom, 1984, 1991; Kubik, 1988, 1994; Tenzer, 2011), music theory (Lerdahl and Jackendoff, 1983; Hasty, 1997; Mirka, 2009), music psychology (Longuet-Higgins and Lee, 1982, 1984; Povel and Essens, 1985; Desain and Honing, 1999; Madison and Merker, 2002), and musical neuroscience (Large and Jones, 1999; Snyder and Large, 2005; Grahn and Brett, 2007; Large, 2008; Grube and Griffiths, 2009; Grube et al, 2010; Nozaradan et al, 2012, 2015; Nozaradan, 2014), as well as biomusicology, presume that human rhythmic entrainment is based on a hierarchical organization of isochronous beats and beat subdivisions
All three pieces exhibit a meter comprised of four isochronous beats that show almost no local differences in IOI
Summary
The rhythms of human music and dance are significantly more complex, more diverse, and more flexible than the rhythmic behaviors found in any other species (see Patel et al, 2005; Bispham, 2006; Fitch, 2006, 2012, 2013; Patel, 2006, 2014; Merker et al, 2009; Bowling et al, 2013; Merchant and Honing, 2014; Ravignani et al, 2014; Merchant et al, 2015). Most approaches to musical rhythm, whether in ethnomusicology (Waterman, 1952; Arom, 1984, 1991; Kubik, 1988, 1994; Tenzer, 2011), music theory (Lerdahl and Jackendoff, 1983; Hasty, 1997; Mirka, 2009), music psychology (Longuet-Higgins and Lee, 1982, 1984; Povel and Essens, 1985; Desain and Honing, 1999; Madison and Merker, 2002), and musical neuroscience (Large and Jones, 1999; Snyder and Large, 2005; Grahn and Brett, 2007; Large, 2008; Grube and Griffiths, 2009; Grube et al, 2010; Nozaradan et al, 2012, 2015; Nozaradan, 2014), as well as biomusicology, presume that human rhythmic entrainment is based on a hierarchical organization of isochronous beats and beat subdivisions. It is commonplace to regard isochrony as a universal, constitutive feature of the regularity that entrainable rhythms require. Savage et al (2015) show that isochronous beats represent a statistical universal of near global spread, and the authors suggest that the occurrence of such statistical universals might indicate biological constraints on cultural diversity
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
