free PDF download: Foundation of African Timelines

[davidpenalosa]

The Three-Over-Two Relationship as the Foundation of Timelines in West African Musics by Dr. Eugene Novotney is one of the most important contemporary works on the topic of African rhythm. Dr. Novotney's work is based on the premise that the 3:2 relationship is the foundation of rhythmic structure in West African music. The main area of focus in his study centers on the seven-stroke standard bell pattern and related timelines, including the five-stroke clave pattern—the all-important foundation of Cuban and other Latin American music. Dr. Novotney’s impeccable work on this subject inspired and guided me in the writing of my own book The Clave Matrix.
—David Peñalosa
http://www.unlockingclave.com/

UnlockingClave.com offers this groundbreaking dissertation as a free download. Just go to:

http://www.unlockingclave.com/free-down ... hesis.html

ABSTRACT
The 3:2 as the Foundation of Timelines in West African Musics
By Dr. Eugene Domenic Novotney

Almost all research agrees upon the fundamental importance of rhythm in African musics, but the explanations of its foundation are as varied as the continent itself. Scholars and non-scholars alike have been seduced by the mystery of rhythm in African musics, and many theories have been advanced to detail its structure and organization. Rhythm seems to be simultaneously the most studied aspect of African music as well as the most confused.

Much discussion has been devoted to the debate over the validity of generality and specificity in analyzing African musics. The very size and scope of Africa leads to its musics being complex and diverse phenomena. The views expressed in my analysis will not be meant to constitute a universal axiom for all African musics. Instead, they will be offered as insights into basic rhythmic principles upon which many West African musics have been built.

My study will be based on the premise that the 3:2 relationship is the foundation of rhythmic structure in West African music. I will first establish a terminology for often misused terms - such as polyrhythm, cross-rhythm, syncopation, beat, and pulse - and I will examine the use of these terms by scholars and performers. In fact, this analysis of terminology will be extensive and thorough, and will comprise a major portion of my study.

Second, I will detail the foundation and the construction of timelines and rhythmic structures in West African musics, based on aspects of the 3:2 relationship. I will propose a system for analyzing West African rhythmic structures and demonstrate how the elements of this system function together to create dense and complex textures based in cross-rhythmic relationships.

Next, I will present a thorough examination of the phenomena of the 3:2 relationship as manifested in nature and as as a model of structure in mathematics, architecture, and music. I will relate the 3:2 foundation of West African musics to the structural significance of the 3:2 relationship in other models. I will examine the 3:2 harmonic foundation in the theory of common practice tonal music. And I will examine the 3:2 relationship as the foundation of musics of the African diaspora: namely, as it manifests itself through the concept of "clave."

I will use the conventional Western notational system to represent all of my musical examples. In all cases, I will stress the importance of understanding this complex rhythmic system as an integration of its components, not merely as groupings of its elements. Above all, I will draw conclusions based on thorough analysis and practice, approaching my topic through the eyes of a performer.

[Thomas Altmann]

Hi David,

thank you for sharing this work, which is certainly of central importance. But ...

... what is it that gives a 300-pages thesis 308 MB!? It took an eternity to load, and when I wanted to save it, it had shut down my Firefox browser. I had to start the whole thing again (which I didn't). Is there any way to solve the problem? It would be great to have (and read) this text.

Thomas

[Mike]

... what is it that gives a 300-pages thesis 308 MB!? It took an eternity to load, and when I wanted to save it, it had shut down my Firefox browser. I had to start the whole thing again (which I didn't). Is there any way to solve the problem?

It is the pictures I guess. It did not work with Firefox for me either.
Try using the Internet Explorer, Thomas, then everything should be fine
- with a little patience
And do not forget to have the latest Adobe Flash player update.

Thanks anyway for sharing, David,
your knowledge and contribution
is always highly appreciated!

[guarachon63]

Thomas Altmann wrote:... what is it that gives a 300-pages thesis 308 MB!? It took an eternity to load, and when I wanted to save it, it had shut down my Firefox browser. I had to start the whole thing again (which I didn't). Is there any way to solve the problem?

You had better luck than me Thomas, I tried three browsers, Firefox, Safari and Google Chrome, and the "submit" button does not respond.

Mike wrote: It did not work with Firefox for me either.
Try using the Internet Explorer, Thomas, then everything should be fine
- with a little patience

There's no such thing as Internet Explorer for Mac for many years now. Looking forward to seeing this too when the bugs get worked out!

[davidpenalosa]

Thanks for your feedback folks. I was able to download it via Safari, but several people have told me they had trouble. I am working on putting up the thesis as a smaller file so you won't have the problems you encountered. I'll post a notice here when it's available. Thanks for your understanding.
-David

[SpEd]

Very much looking forward to reading this.... and have seriously been considering your book as well David.
Thanx much for sharing this here... btw, I had no problems with the download thru Firefox 3.6.3

[Congadelica]

Thanks for sharing David . I use firefox latest version 3.6 just downloaded for me no problem .
I look forward to reading this .

M

[davidpenalosa]

Hi folks,
I just now put a smaller version of the file up there. It should be easier to download and it will not take as long to do so either. Besides the size of the first version, there could have been a related problem of too many people trying to download it at once. If you continue to have problems downloading the thesis please contact me and I will make other arrangements to get it to you.

All feedback and questions are welcome.
-David

[guarachon63]

got it now, thanks!

[Thomas Altmann]

Thank you David, that made it.

TA

[windhorse]

David, et al, I have a friend who's a music teacher and going for her doctorate now. Her proposed thesis is when, how, and why the tres dos/clave switch occurred in rumba.. You know the segundo used to play on 1 of 3-2 clave, and now it's the 3rd downbeat. She's been to Cuba and knows a few heavy hitters, but I asked if she had the clave matrix book and whether she was in contact with you.. I met her at camp a few years ago, so you've met her before,, name's Linda - black hair...
Haven't heard back from her yet, but I'll PM the details when I do.

BTW, people, "The Clave Matrix" is a must have!!!!!

Dave

[davidpenalosa]

Her proposed thesis is when, how, and why the tres dos/clave switch occurred in rumba.. You know the segundo used to play on 1 of 3-2 clave, and now it's the 3rd downbeat.

Hi Dave,
Thanks for your words of praise for The Clave Matrix.

According to Los Muñequitos, one night the tres dos player was so drunk that he mistakenly put the tone on the two-side. They have been consistent with that story.

There are two main ways in which clave is typically expressed by a particular part in any clave-based genre; the part is either based on a clave motif (coinciding with the strokes of the clave pattern), or it is based on an offbeat/onbeat motif (the main strokes of the part coincide with the beat on the two-side of clave). These two ways in which clave is expressed contradict each other in various ways. For example, the five-stroke clave pattern itself coincides with the beat on the three-side and has a rest on the first beat of the two-side. The opposite is true of offbeat/onbeat motifs typical of a bass tumbao or piano guajeo ("montuno"); the three-side is offbeat and the two-side has the onbeat stroke.

Both positions of the tres dos part then, comply with a clave logic. The original way was based on on a clave motif; the first two open tones (in Havana-style) coincide with the first two strokes of clave. The newer way is based on an offbeat/onbeat motif; the tone(s) is sounded on the two-side.

There's a few Cuban recordings from the early 1950s where you hear the tres dos beginning on the three-side and then switching to the two-side.

North American drummers have historically confused the two positions of the tres dos as an expression of the 3-2/2-3 dynamic. Back when I began learning conga drums we used to say the tres dos was in 3-2 or it was in 2-3. We used to also think of it as a matter of switching the clave to the drum part instead of the other way around. Back then we felt the tres dos part as the "one," regardless of which side it was played.
-David

[davidpenalosa]

Hmmmm. DId I just clear the room out again?

[Thomas Altmann]

Oh no, David!

I am just busy writing something else at the moment. I'm not sure whether I could maintain an enduring correspondence on the subject. I even have to postpone the printing and reading of the Novotney thesis.

The Muñequitos story is great, and the right message for any scholarly inclined drummer (like you and me).

I might add that my first Cuban percussion teacher, Rodolfo "El Moro", conga player with La 440 in 1984, explained to me that in the Conga Habanera they had put the segunda on the 2-side in order to balance out the heavy bombo note, and from there it was transferred to Rumba. Maybe it's a myth. Anyway, the Muñequitos myth is more entertaining.

Thomas

[davidpenalosa]

Hi Thomas,
I love the little emoticon faces you put up. Thanks.

I also appreciate hearing the Havana version of why the segundo was moved to the two-side. That version serves my need for logic, but I agree with you about the Matanzas version.
-David