Wednesday, 17 June 2009

Coercive music

This music, which basically is a folk-like melody with varied accompaniment, is what I might have called last year 'grounded' music. I think I need to refine what this means.

Basically, the 'grounding' occurs where there are predictable patterns established: regular tonal melodies, regular accompaniment. The open 5ths help to establish clear tonal centres, etc. This regularity I would now see as part of the 'System 3' coordination, or coercion. There is something quite assertive (coercive?) about an open 5th, or even a repeated melody. The response to it is like the response to figurative art: this is C major (in art, the equivalent might be "this is a horse"). It is a pattern which is established, which sets a clear expectation of what is to follow. As such, it is also quite comforting (and maybe as a result, creates the 'grounding' feeling of 'all is right in the world'; in essence this means 'all is predictable')

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