Blog Post 7
Choice Cuts: Expanding on the importance of the role of Participatory Discrepancies in Music
The first piece Polacca is full of participatory discrepancies that truly make the listening experience a fun and exciting journey. Right from the beginning of the piece it seems the drums and the vocal group are in a different meter or tempo. The drums arrive on the beat a fraction earlier than the vocals. The piece grows and evolves in many different ways, layering on futuristic ostinatos (repeated motifs). This piece reminds me of a sort of call and response as it seems the musicians are almost have a conversation. This is emphasized by the chant like vocals. The group of vocalists are often not singing pitches but rather following the natural inflection of the voice and language while still communication musically and rhythmically with the other musicians. These aspects make for a very lively composition that makes any listener want to get up and dance.
Sly and the Family stone’s Space Cowboy has many resemblances to a blues jam. The Bassist and the drummer lay the foundation of the groove while the keyboard lightly playing over top in a slap clav style. The vocals are the clearest example of participatory discrepancy as there are multiple vocalists singing in different octaves and the lead vocalists often switches between rhythmic speech and melody. The mix of speech and song gives the composition a sense of story. The piece reminds me of a campfire jam, where everyone is participating in the experience.
The final piece ‘Agua due va caer’ by Patato and Totico seems as though almost all musicians are playing at their own tempo. The vocals seem to flow over top of the drums independently but complementary. The piece does not feel like it has any bar lines time signature instead; a groove layered over top of the energizing drum beat. This piece like the Polacca really makes you want to dance. You also feel as though you can sing along when the group of singers responds to the lead singer, another example of how Participatory discrepancies allow the audience to feel they can participate as well.
Although classical music has found beauty in precise rhythm and intonation, genres such as jazz, Prague rock, rock and many more have embraced what we call participatory discrepancies. Participatory discrepancy can be difficult to recognize but is often a crucial aspect of an effective musical performance. Examples of this are most recognizable in live performance, and I think is a major factor in why we as humans are so invigorated by live music. I think the hint is in the right in the name— Participatory—
These discrepancies arise because the musicians are communicating and creating the music in real time as individuals in a collaborative effort. In other words they are actively participating in the creation of the colour and groove of the piece. I believe this is why audience become so enamoured with live performance, because they are participating in the experience simultaneously. In the examples all the pieces feel as though each instrument is acting and reacting to each other, leading to slight variations in timing, tempo and intonation. This is what makes live these pieces feel so real, causing you to act and react with the music and musicians. These styles of music move away from the ideals of ‘perfection’ in classical music, performed only by experts and professionals, allowing everyone to feel included from the musicians, audience, sound engineers, all the way to the clean up crew. One style of music that is my personal favourite to engage in as a performer or lister, is also the best example of participatory discrepancy; ‘Jamming’.
Jamming is when musicians come together usually without any music, maybe with a few musical ideas they want to build on, or maybe just their instrument, and they play music together building off each others musical ideas. Due to the spontaneous nature of this style of playing, their tempos are loose and change with the musicians, slight bends in pitches create new colours. When I first heard people ‘jam’ I was in awe of how they were able to build off each others individual styles to make their own feel and texture. I was positive that I would not be able to participate successfully in a ‘jam’ until I had mastered my instrument. For a long time I was too scared to even try and was terrified of playing music that I didn’t learn and practice, how would I know what to play? When I finally ‘jammed’ I moved passed that fear because I realized that no one knew exactly what music would be made, which meant any note or rhythm was possible, there were not wrong notes and right notes. Participatory discrepancies may not always be as pretty or precise as Mozart, but it is an unrefined form of expression that makes everyone feel included in the creative process bth the musicians and the listeners.
Great article on the importance of the role Participatory discrepancies play in music.
http://musicpsychology.co.uk/feeling-groovy-microtiming-in-swing-and-funk/
Video on Participatory music and music care.
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