Theory and Practice of Long-form Non-isochronous Meters: The Case of the North Indian rūpak tāl

Abstract

This paper addresses important issues in the theory of meter by means of a detailed study of a particular form of non-isochronous (NI) meter, the North Indian rūpak tāl. Rūpak tāl is described as comprising 7 equal mātrās (time units), organized into three groups (3+2+2 mātrās), and is therefore non-isochronous at the group rather than the beat or subdivision level. The term “long-form non-isochronous meter” is introduced to describe the phenomenon of metrical structures including a non-isochronous pulse level with IOIs >1000ms, of which this is an example. This phenomenon is explored with the aid of empirical analysis of a corpus of recordings of rūpak tāl performances, focusing particularly on vocal performances in khyāl style. This empirical data is considered in light of extant literature on Indian metrical organization, on ethnomusicological theories of aksak, on psychological theories of rhythm perception in NI-meters, and on metrical theory more broadly. The implications for a general theory of musical meter are then considered, leading to an argument that (a) while theorization is not a necessary condition of metrical perception, a recognized metrical pattern must be treated not only as a form of perception based on the entrainment of attention (London 2012), but as a form of culturally-shared knowledge contributing to top-down processing of meter; and (b) the theorization and representation of aspects of metrical structure means that metrical cycles are not limited to the extent of the psychological present.