Syncopation as Transformation

Abstract

Abstract:Syncopation is a rhythmic phenomenon present in various musical styles and cultures. I present in this dissertation a set of simple rhythmic transformations that can serve as a formalized model for syncopation for the purposes of generation and analysis of music. The transformations are based on fundamental features of the musical meter and syncopation, as seen from a cognitive and a musical perspective. Based on this model, rhythmic patterns can be organized in tree structures where patterns are interconnected through simple transformations. The model was applied in the design of three listening experiments that explore the relation between syncopation and groove, i.e. the sensation of wanting to move when listening to music. A software plugin is presented as an application of the model.It manipulates the syncopation of audio and MIDI "clips" by automatically de-syncopating and syncopating its content.ii Resumo:Síncopa é um fenómeno rítmico presente em várias culturas e estilos musicais. Nesta dissertação, eu apresento um conjunto de transformações rítmicas simples que constituem um modelo formalizado da síncopa para fins de geração e análise de música. As transformações são baseadas em características fundamentais do compasso musical e síncopa vistos de um ponto de vista cognitivo e musical. Com base neste modelo, padrões rítmicos podem ser organizados em estruturas de árvore (tree structures) onde os padrões são interligados através de transformações simples. O modelo foi aplicado no projeto de três experiências de escuta que exploram a relação entre síncopa e "groove", ou seja, a sensação de querer mover quando ouvir música. Um plugin é apresentado como uma aplicação do modelo que manipula a síncopa de MIDI e áudio "clips" automaticamente.iii

Syncopation as structure bootstrapping: the role of asymmetry in rhythm and language

“…According to this view, syncopated rhythms are surface deviations of rhythms that are not syncopated at a deeper level of representation. The idea that syncopated rhythms are the result of processes of transformation finds its roots in Schenkerian approaches to rhythm, such as Komar (1971) and Schachter (1980) and has recently found experimental and computational support in the work of Sioros and Guedes (2014).…”