Measuring a Measure

Abstract

The prevailing approach to bar lengths in pop/rock music uses the standard rock drum beat as a model, whereby the kick is assigned to beats 1 and 3 and the snare to beats 2 and 4 in a bar of ".fn_meter(4,4).". In this paper, I show that a song’s drum pattern is not a reliable indicator of measure lengths, especially if we consider bar lengths to be an important benchmark for theories of form. I argue that our determinations of bar lengths and meter in popular music should also take absolute time into consideration. Specifically, I speculate that the two-second measure acts as an ideal for experiential or “real” measures, and so we may be best served—all other factors being equal—by partitioning a song into measure lengths that most closely approximate two seconds. My approach derives from recent research on tempo perception, statistical studies of pop/rock song corpora, and my own analyses of popular songs. An important concept is the notion of different drum “feels,” such as double-time and half-time, in which the drum pattern can be seen to exist on a metric level above or below the primary beat level as implied by the time signature. I show the value of my approach via a number of song comparisons, wherein structural similarities can be found despite differences in surface-level rhythmic patterns. I also discuss other factors—including harmonic rhythm and form—that may affect our perception of bar lengths, so as to concede that no single factor can fully simplify meter classification in this style.

Tempo versus average rates of harmonic rhythm in popular music: A study of three corpora

“…These three songs alone do not provide enough evidence to refute the relative hypothesis, but they serve to exemplify a contrary view that I have espoused in previous work (de Clercq, 2016). According to this view, chord durations in popular music generally have a moderate pacing as measured in absolute time, regardless of the tempo implied by the drum pattern, with about 2 s as the average chord length.…”

“…Preferred tempo presumably lies somewhere in the middle of this range, although the exact rate may be contingent on context. While earlier work has identified preferred tempo as approximately 100 bpm (Fraisse, 1982; Parncutt, 1994), more recent work focusing primarily on popular music suggests that preferred tempo may lie closer to 120 bpm (de Clercq, 2016; Moelants, 2002). These details aside, the interaction of absolute time, tempo, and meter undoubtedly shapes the hierarchy of regular rhythmic values in a musical work (London, 2012).…”

Backbeat placement affects tempo judgments.

“…While octave errors in tempo perception occur in a wide range of musical styles, we conclude that backbeat shifts are a particularly strong means of evoking a tempo octave error. Similarly, Trevor de Clercq (2016) argued that measures (and by extension, the metrical hierarchy) in popular music are defined by durational boundaries of approximately 2 s. While de Clercq’s argument stems from a perspective of music analysis rather than perception, it nevertheless supports the notion that preference rules and cues for metric structure should be style-specific. While we would not suggest that the backbeat is an example of a “contrametric” style of organization (Kolinski, 1973; London et al, 2017), as it is a consistent, periodic rhythmic layer within the music, we recognize the relationship of the backbeat to the sub-Saharan rhythms from which it is derived that are both noncongruent with the metrical framework and fundamental to the musical style.…”

The ‘Anchoring vi Schema’ and its relation to phrase rhythm in popular music

“…The BPM and metre columns of Tables 1 and 2 provide the necessary clarification. Trevor de Clercq has raised questions concerning the reliability of determining a song's tempo from the drummer's backbeat pattern – for example, a drummer may make extensive use of a half-time feel, or a double-time feel (2016, paragraph 3.5). Richard Marx's song ‘Another One Down’ (2019) presents an ambiguous case in this regard.…”