MTO 16.4 Examples: Polak, Rhythmic Feel as Meter

(Note: audio, video, and other interactive examples are only available online) http://www.mtosmt.org/issues/mto.10.16.4/mto.10.16.4.polak.php

Example 1. Open-air recording “studio” session

Dunun (cylindrical bass , left): Madu Jakite. Lead jembe (center): Sedu Balo. Second jembe (right): Drissa Kone.

Photo: R. Polak, 2007

Example 2. Visualization of inter-onset-intervals of a 4-beat/12-pulse cycle in video editing software The markers (orange-color dotted vertical lines) point to the lead jembe stroke onsets visible in the lower (dark color) audio track The upper track shows the () part; an SML feel pattern (short, medium, long) is obvious

Video 1. manjanin by the Drissa Kone Quartet

First dunun (far left): Madu Jakite. Lead jembe (left center): Drissa Kone. Second jembe (right center): Sedu Balo. Second dunun (far right): Antoine Traore. Recording: R. Polak, Bamako 2006

Table 1. Transcription of the audio component of Video 1 Artist: Drissa Kone Quartet. Title: Manjanin. Meter: 4-beat/12-pulse. Tempo: 135–205 ternary bpm (405–615 ppm)

Cycles: 1-4 | 5-16 | 17-28 | 29-40 | 41-52 | 53-64 | 65-76 | 77-88 | 89-100 | 101-112 | 113-124 | 125-136 | 137- 148 | 149-160 | 161-172 | 173-184 |185-196 | 197-208 | 209-219

Table 2. Timing of the lead jembe in Cycle 178 from Video 1 (manjanin) Tempo: 192 quaternary bpm (575 ppm)

Table 3. Timing of the lead jembe in Cycle 1 from Video 1 (manjanin) Tempo: 135 ternary bpm (405 ppm)

Table 4. Mean timing ratios of échauffement periods (9–17 metric cycles in length) by four players (manjanin)

Table 5. Timing of jembe échauffement cycles of four lead jembe players (manjanin)

Figure 1. SML rhythmic feel in manjanin échauffement cycles; data taken from Table 5 (manjanin)

Table 6. Mean timing ratio of the lead jembe in the second échauffement period from Video 1 (Cycles 206– 217) (manjanin)

Table 7. Timing of the lead jembe in Cycle 216 (manjanin) Tempo: 204 ternary bpm (612 ppm)

Table 8. Mean timing ratio of the second jembe in Video 1 (Cycles 2–217) (manjanin)

Table 9. Hypothetical and empirical timing ratios of the second jembe’s accompaniment phrase in Video 1

Figure 2. Serial data curve of the timing ratio of the second jembe in Video 1 (manjanin)

Table 10. Mean timing ratio (given as percentages of the normalized beat duration) of basic dunun phrase over 150 cycles from Video 1 (manjanin)

Table 11. Hypothetical and empirical mean timing ratios of the first dunun’s basic phrase (manjanin)

Table 12. Timing of the dunun in Cycle 9/10 (manjanin) Tempo: 146 ternary bpm (439 ppm)

Table 13. Timing of randomly chosen single cycles of ten dunun players (manjanin)

Figure 3. Timing ratios of the basic dunun phrase of ten different players; data taken from Table 13 (manjanin)

Table 14. Four common rhythmic feel types of jembe music from

Example 3. Yamadu Dunbia

Photo: R. Polak, Bamako 1995

Table 15. Timing of the jembe in Audio 5a (woloso-dón) Tempo: 185 binary bpm (369 ppm)

Example 4. Jeli Madi Kuyate

Photo: R. Polak (Bamako 2006)

Table 16. Timing of the jembe in Audio 6a (sunun) Tempo: 120 quaternary bpm (480 ppm)

Table 17. Timing of the jembe in Audio 7a (suku) Tempo: 133 ternary bpm (400 ppm)

Example 5. Jaraba Jakite performing for a solo dancer at a wedding celebration

Photo: R. Polak (Bamako, 1994)

Table 18. Timing of the jembe in Audio 8a (sumalen) Tempo: 98 ternary bpm (294 ppm)

Figure 4. Synchronization of LS and SFL feel types in contrast to isochronous binary and ternary pulses

Video 2. woloso-dón

Basic dunun (left): Madu Jakite. Lead jembe (center): Drissa Kone. Second jembe (right): Sedu Balo. Second dunun (far right, out of view): Antoine Traore Recording: R. Polak, Bamako 2006

Table 19. Timing of the lead jembe in Cycle 8 from Video 2 (woloso-dón) Tempo: 134 ternary bpm (402 ppm)

Table 20. Timing of the second jembe in Cycle 8 (woloso-dón) Tempo: 134 ternary bpm (403 ppm)

Figure 5. Synchronization of LFF and SFLF feel patterns in contrast to isochronous ternary and quaternary subpulses

Video 3. sumalen

First dunun (left): Madu Jakite. Lead jembe (center): Drissa Kone. Second jembe (right): Sedu Balo Recording: R. Polak, Bamako 2006

Table 21. Mean timing of second jembe in Video 3 (sumalen)

Table 22. Timing of the lead jembe in Cycle 43 from Video 3 (sumalen) Tempo: 130 ternary bpm (391 ppm)

Table 23. Timing of the lead jembe in Cycle 46 from Video 3 (sumalen) Tempo: 134 ternary bpm (403 ppm)

Table 24. Timing of the jembe in Cycle 49 from Video 3 (sumalen) Tempo: 139 quaternary bpm (556 ppm)

Figure 6. Synchronization of RRL/RLRL hand patterns in LFF/SFLF feel system

Table 25. Transcription of Video 3 (Cycles 43–44) Artist: Drissa Kone Trio. Title: Sumalen Meter: 4-beat/LFF. Tempo: 134 ternary bpm (403 ppm)

Video 4. Excerpt of Video 3 (slow motion; sound muted) (sumalen)

First dunun (left): Madu Jakite. Lead jembe (center): Drissa Kone. Second jembe (right): Sedu Balo Recording: R. Polak, Bamako 2006