Metre, entrainment and isochrony: Lessons and questions from rupak tal
In this paper I will discuss some current issues in metrical theory and musical entrainment in the light of a recent study of the north Indian metric cycle rupak tal (Clayton in press). An empirical analysis of rupak tal performances conducted in the light of London’s theory of metre suggests a number of things need to be fully taken into account in the latter, including the interpolation of an additional level (Group) between the Beat and Cycle levels in some metrical practice (rupak tal is in fact non-isochronous at the Group level); the acknowledgement that tempo-metrical types are not only patterns of entrainment but also shared knowledge structures; and in light of this, the idea that metric cycle durations are limited in practice to around 5-6 secs is not sustainable. What wider questions need now be asked of metric theory, specifically in relation to entrainment and isochrony? I will suggest some ways in which our understanding of metre might be extended to take fuller account its culturally-specific nature and its character as knowledge, while retaining a fundamental link to an entrainment model. Clayton, Martin (in press) Non-isochronous metres in theory and in performance: The case of the North Indian rupak tal. In Hans Neuhoff and Rainer Polack, eds, Musical Metre in Comparative Perspective.
presentation slides available here