Music Notes.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXX, Issue 5385, 8 February 1929, Page 4

Music Notes.

THE MEANING OF RHYTHM. Karl W. Gehrßiu in his little book, the of Music,” Informs us “ ‘in the beginning was rhythm,’” said Brahms, (a statement also attributed to von Bulow), and historians agree that the earliest manifestation of what we call, music is to be traced bank the rhythm of primitive dancing. The word rhythm means literally “flow.” This directs ! o ( ur attention to. the continuity of, music—it involves a- constant forward progression. But rhythm employs regularity of gait, as well as forward' movement. It is nqt a matter of forward progression by starts and. hitches, but a regular steady flow.

This, in. turn points to an alternation of strong and weak', for witjiaut suc,h regularity elf alternation there could not arise that steady, persistent movement that, is so ba!s,ic in music. ' The accents are; referred to. as “strong beats” and of course there cc;uld be no accented points without corresponding regularity of non-ac-cented ones. Freedom from monotony is secure by variety of t'O.ne lengths. The; most striking characteristics, of musical rhythm are then : (1) Regularity of gait and forward movement —that is pulsation ; (2) accentuation ; (3) Variety in tone length.

And again, “it is through rhythm* that, unity,' coherence, balance, and variety are achieved. Rhythmic pro- ' gression are far uitye common than tonal ones, and the repetition of rhythmic effects, is largely responsible for the feeling of evenness that arisen when a musical composition is heard.”