Patterns in Time
Patterns with Two Different Pitches
- Examples
- "Melodic rhythm (meter)"
- Listeners are good at finding repeating sequences
- Listeners can spontaneously reorganize their understanding
of a sequence
- Listeners organized based on runs of identical elements
- One pitch is heard as the figure, the other as the ground
- Subjects prefer to start with the longest run of figure elements,
end with the longest run of ground elements
- Figure and ground elements are treated separately as "patterns of
time"
- Patterns are more difficult if the interval between figure (or ground)
elements perceived as accented is not constant
Patterns with Multiple Pitches
- Example: 235433452221
- Groupings depend on relations within groups and on parallel relations
between groups
- Preferred groupings: identical elements, ascending or descending
sequences, alternations
- Boundaries: pitch jumps, changes in contour, changes in alternation
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Last updated: 17 October 1995
URL: http://www.indiana.edu/~gasser/meter6.html
Comments: gasser@salsa.indiana.edu
Copyright 1995, The Trustees of
Indiana University