New Mexico State University

Microtheme on Rhythm and Melody

Joseph Seth Zamora

An Introduction to World Music, Jazz, and Music Research, MUS 202
Dr. Fred Bugbee
Due Thursday September 17, 2015

Rhythm is the organization and division of sounds and silences in time. Throughout
cultures around the world, rhythm is organized and expressed in many different ways. In western
music, rhythm is organized into groups of two, three, or four. However, in other cultures, these
groups can become more complex. For example, northern Indias classical music can be
groupings as high as 108 beat divisions, although a 16-beat division, called tala, is more
common. Rhythms get even more complex in the music from the West African tribes. These
ensembles in the tribes consist of drums each playing different rhythms creating this
polyrhythmic feel. Uneven rhythms or swing rhythm is seen primarily in Jazz music with group
of notes with a long note and a shorter note with an accent. Finally, free rhythms can be seen I
Japanese Shakuhachi music. Rhythm is controlled with a solo performers breath creating an
organic, free rhythm.
Melody is defined as a linear succession of pitches. Many variations in melodic
composition are seen among various cultures. In Western Music, there are twelve defined
pitches. Composers determine these pitches and rhythms beforehand and notate it so performers
can then recreate the piece. In the Maqam style in the Middle East, melodies are based on
various groupings of notes similar to western musical scales. However, these scales contain
microtones or fractions of tones. In performance, the melodies are slightly bent from definite
pitches to microtones creating a type of ornament. Ornamentation is also common in traditional
Irish music. Performers are given a set melody and are allowed to slightly modify this in order to
create a different melodic figure each time the melody is heard. In the classical musical tradition
in Northern India, Ragas are used to create melodies. Each raga has its own rules and moods.
These ragas, like western music, have 12 defined pitches. A tonic is established and from there,
only certain notes can proceed it, which is also dependent on the Raga.