VART3492 :: Advanced Studio Technologies 2 - Single Plinth Test

VART3492 :: Advanced Studio Technologies 2 - Rhythm Design notes

The Rhythm that Conquered the World: What Makes a“Good” Rhythm Good?(to appear in Percussive Notes.)ByGodfried T. Toussaint

*To achieve 16 pulses over 8 plinths, each sequence plays twice

One of the most effective ways to add spice to rhythms by means of syncopation is to use it in such a way as to create what might be called a slight temporary confusion or cognitive insecurity, or metrical dissonance, or what Neil McLachlan calls a gestalt despatialization. In the case of 16-pulse timelines, which necessarily have four strong fundamental four-pulse beats felt at pulses 0, 4, 8, and 12, a gestalt despatialization can be introduced by first misguiding the listener into perceiving and cognitively predicting a sequence of three-pulse duration intervals. For this to happen there must be at least two initial IOI’s of duration equal to three pulses. This means that the first three onsets must occur at pulses 0, 3, and 6. However this is not sufficient. To achieve the gestalt despatialization the last IOI of the rhythm must have duration equal to four units, and hence be determined by onsets at pulses 12 and 0. In this way the rhythm ends with two clear fundamental four-pulse beats.

The Rhythm that Conquered the World: What Makes a“Good” Rhythm Good?(to appear in Percussive Notes.)ByGodfried T. Toussaint