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Non-Isochronous Meter: a Study of Cross-Cultural Practices, Analytic Technique, and Implications for Jazz Pedagogy

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Non-Isochronous Meter: a Study of Cross-Cultural Practices, Analytic Technique, and Implications for Jazz Pedagogy NON-ISOCHRONOUS METER: A STUDY OF CROSS-CULTURAL PRACTICES, ANALYTIC TECHNIQUE, AND IMPLICATIONS FOR JAZZ PEDAGOGY JORDAN P. SAULL A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY GRADUATE PROGRAM IN MUSIC YORK UNIVERSITY TORONTO, ONTARIO December 2014 © Jordan Saull, 2014 ABSTRACT This dissertation examines the use of non-isochronous (NI) meters in jazz compositional and performative practices (meters as comprised of cycles of a prime number [e.g., 5, 7, 11] or uneven divisions of non-prime cycles [e.g., 9 divided as 2+2+2+3]). The explorative meter practices of jazz, while constituting a central role in the construction of its own identity, remains curiously absent from jazz scholarship. The conjunct research broadly examines NI meters and the various processes/strategies and systems utilized in historical and current jazz composition and performance practices. While a considerable amount of NI meter composers have advertantly drawn from the metric practices of non-Western music traditions, the potential for utilizing insights gleaned from contemporary music-theoretical discussions of meter have yet to fully emerge as a complimentary and/or organizational schemata within jazz pedagogy and discourse. This paper seeks to address this divide, but not before an accurate picture of historical meter practice is assessed, largely as a means for contextualizing developments within historical and contemporary practice and discourse. The dissertation presents a chronology of explorative meter developments in jazz, firstly, by tracing compositional output, and secondly, by establishing the relevant sources within conjunct periods of development i.e., scholarly works, relative academic developments, and tractable world music sources. Bridging the gap between world music meter sources and theoretical musicology (primarily, the underlying perceptual and cognitive model which represents a topology of the structural premises of meter) the research acts to direct and inform a compositional process which directly accounts for an isomorphic link between structurally similar meters. ii DEDICATION A very special thanks to Patricia Saull and Dr. Diane Westerhoff. iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I wish to acknowledge the three members of my supervisory committee for their valuable contributions to this work. My supervisor, Professor Michael Coghlan provided invaluable feedback and insightful commentary throughout the development of this dissertation. Professor Sundar Vishwanathan provided valuable encouragement through the various stages of this work. Professor Matt Vander Wood played a significant role in organizing a more coherent and refined work. Each of these committee members helped my research in innumerable ways. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract.............................................................................................................................................ii Dedication........................................................................................................................................iii Acknowledgments...........................................................................................................................iv Table of Contents..............................................................................................................................v List of Tables..................................................................................................................................vii List of Figures................................................................................................................................viii Glossary of Terms.............................................................................................................................x Introduction.......................................................................................................................................1 Chapter One: Metric Parameters and Constraints 1.1 Rhythm and Meter..........................................................................................................9 1.2 Temporal Entrainment and Synchronization................................................................10 1.3 Perceptual and Cognitive Research..............................................................................15 1.4 The Primacy of the Tactus............................................................................................21 1.5 The Structure of NI Meters..........................................................................................25 1.6 NI Beats and the Relevance of the 2:3 Ratio...............................................................28 1.7 Selinsky's Modulatory Networks.................................................................................32 1.8 Metric Trees – Envelopes and Nodes...........................................................................41 1.9 Benadon's Tempo Networks.........................................................................................46 1.10 Hoenig's Tempo Networks.........................................................................................53 1.11 Summary.....................................................................................................................58 Chapter Two: A Comparative Analysis of World Music Meter Practices 2.1 NI Meter Strategies in World Music Practices.............................................................60 2.2 Aksak Meter Practices..................................................................................................63 2.3 Usul Meter Practices....................................................................................................67 2.4 Meters of the Arabic Wazn...........................................................................................71 2.5 Metric Commonalities..................................................................................................74 2.6 South Asian Tala – A Historical Overview...................................................................76 2.7 Chanda Tala..................................................................................................................78 2.8 Marga Tala....................................................................................................................82 2.9 Desi Tala.......................................................................................................................84 2.10 Modern Tala Practice.................................................................................................91 2.11 Suladi Sapta Tala........................................................................................................93 2.12 Related Meters: Metric Modulation...........................................................................96 2.13 Tempo Practices.......................................................................................................106 2.14 Summary..................................................................................................................108 v Chapter Three: Non-Isochronous Meter Sources In Jazz 3.1 Tracing Metric Variability ….....................................................................................111 3.2 Waltzes: Tentative Beginnings...................................................................................111 3.3 Early Quintuple Based Examples...............................................................................117 3.4 The Emergent Continuum of Ternary Based Meters..................................................120 3.5 Bebop: An Explorative Revolution............................................................................124 3.6 Recording Technologies: The Art of Tempo..............................................................126 3.7 Emergent Voices: Non-Isochronous Meter Practices.................................................133 3.8 Critical Reception......................................................................................................136 3.9 Ellis's Contributions...................................................................................................138 3.10 Tracing Literary Sources..........................................................................................143 3.11 Academic Course Work............................................................................................146 3.12 Non-Scholarly Publications.....................................................................................148 3.13 Summation...............................................................................................................149 Chapter Four: Proportional Relationships: Metric Modulations 4.1 “Some Other Time” – Shifting Periodicities..............................................................151 4.2 Integrating Differing Modulatory Approaches...........................................................156 4.3 Metronome Techniques: Toward a New Pedagogy....................................................173 4.4 Summary....................................................................................................................178 Conclusion....................................................................................................................................180 Bibliography..................................................................................................................................182
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