Meter isn't everything: The case of a timeline-oriented Cuban polyrhythm

Publication date: January 2020Source: New Ideas in Psychology, Volume 56Author(s): Fernando BenadonAbstractMeter serves as a robust temporal referent for the creation and perception of musical rhythm. In music from Africa and the diaspora, a parallel referent is often present in the form of repetitive rhythmic patterns known as timelines. This paper examines how a well-known timeline (the standard pattern) serves as a grounding framework for quinto (lead conga drum) rhythms heard in different drumming performances of Afro-Cuban rumba columbia. Focusing on the layout of alignment points between the constituent elements of the various temporal layers—rhythm, timeline, and possible meters—indicates that the quinto players may be orienting their playing according to the timeline's onsets.
Source: New Ideas in Psychology - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research