Measuring Aksak Rhythm and Synchronization in Transylvanian Village Music by Using Motion Capture

2015

<p>Techniques based on motion capture can be useful in <span><span style="font-size: x-small;">analyzing a wide range of musical styles and practices</span></span>: in this case, Transylvanian village music. We focused on a repertoire known as “Gypsy songs of sorrow”, played by professional Gypsy musicians during parties and celebrations of their own community. Two parameters were the object of study: rhythmic duration, and synchronization between musicians (a violinist and a viola player). Results show that rhythm is a local variant of <em>aksak</em> and is based on two duration units (S=short, L=long) which respect the formula 2:3 < S:L &am…