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From: | Anh Hai Trinh |
Subject: | Re: GDP glossary question: complex meters |
Date: | Thu, 28 Feb 2008 21:12:20 -0500 |
User-agent: | Opera Mail/9.50 (Linux) |
How can we normalize the terminology? Here are my thoughts on the matter,trying to distill this into a controlled lexicon -- * polymeter -- the most generic term * sequential polymeter -- Ralph's definition * regular * irregular * simultaneous polymeter -- Valentin's definition * regular and irregular (theoretically) And here's what happens to the list of terms above: * polymetric time signatureDeleted: although it implies sequential polymeter, it has too many possibleinterpretations to be useful. * double time signature * compound time signature * additive time signatures * alternating time signatures Become "See also _sequential polymeter, regular_" * mixed meter / mixed time signatures Becomes "See also "sequential polymeter, irregular_"
I have never heard the term polymeter. It does not show up in Grove Music Online (actually once but refering to poetic meter), not a good sign! And according to Wikipedia, polymeter implies polyrhythm and therefore is equivalent to your "simulatenous polymeter" <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polymeter>. That term should be out!
The equivalent term to your "sequential polymeter" that I've heared and used is "changing meters" or "irregular meter".
* double time sig -- too ambigous whether it's simultaneous or sequential* compound time sig -- this is a well established term refering to meter such as 6/8, 9/8, 6/4, etc. in contrast to simple meters such as 3/8, 3/4, etc. * additive time sig -- could mean sth like (3 + 3 + 2)/8 or could mean irregular meters a la Messian
* alternating time sig -- a special case of changing/irregular meter --AT
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