Time on the Crooked Road: Isochrony, Meter, and Disruption in Old-Time Country and Bluegrass Music — Ethnomusicology

Claims

1. bluegrass-meter
   In bluegrass, which in many respects is a more modern rendering of old-time music, some earlier metrical irregularities persist while others are straightened. Extra time is still often inserted between instrumental breaks and sung verses, but because bluegrass tempos are faster and larger ensembles require more coordination, disruptions of the basic beat are rare.

   "Returning briefly to old-time and bluegrass music more generally, one can note that in the genre of bluegrass, which in many respects is a more modern rendering of old-time music including that of the Carter Family, some aspects of their earlier metrical practices persist while others are straightened. Specifically, transitional extension proves to be an effective way to ensure that enough time exists between instrumental breaks and vocal strophes. Given that tempos are typically faster in bluegrass, and that larger ensembles involve more coordination, though, first order disruptions are rare."

   Locator: page: 70 · Quote language: en
2. crooked-tunes
   "Crooked tune" is a term used by bluegrass and old-time musicians for pieces, mainly fiddle tunes, that deny temporal regularity by having extra or missing beats. Ralph Stanley's banjo breakdown "Clinch Mountain Backstep" follows the typical bluegrass breakdown form of two repeated eight-bar strains (AABB), but its second strain contains an extra beat that defies the listener's expectation of a regular pulse. Rockwell theorizes crookedness as the disruption of an expected pulse layer.

   "The term “crooked tune” is in common use among current practitioners of bluegrass and old-time music, primarily with regard to fiddle repertoire that in some way denies temporal regularity ... For the most part, the piece contains the typical structure of a bluegrass breakdown or fiddle tune, in which two repeated 8-bar strains create an AABB form. The second strain, though, contains an extra beat ... Since this temporal discrepancy defies a listener's expectation of a regular half-note pulse, “Clinch Mountain Backstep” can be regarded as a “crooked tune.” ... This study conceives of a “crooked tune” as music that includes a disruption of an expected pulse layer."

   Locator: page: 56-58 · Quote language: en