Patterns and Performances in Speech and Music

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Patterns and Performances in Speech and Music

• Mark Liberman
• University of Pennsylvaniahttp//ling.upenn.edu/
  myl

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Skip-a to my Lou (Ruth Crawford Seeger, American
Folk Songs for Children, 1938)
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this song has hundreds of stanzas and is always
picking up new ones. One collector alone gives
150, from which the above 22 were selected as
encouragement to further improvisation."
 E               C               E              
G               (pitches)  X              
X               X              
X               (1/4 notes) X       X      
X       X       X       X       X      
X       (1/8 notes) X   X   X   X   X   X   X  
X   X   X   X   X   X   X   X   X   (1/16
notes)little  red     wa-     gon     pain-  
ted    blue  E               C              
E               G               (pitches)
 X               X               X              
X               (1/4 notes) X       X      
X       X       X       X       X      
X       (1/4 notes) X   X   X   X   X   X   X  
X   X   X   X   X   X   X   X   X   (1/16
notes)pig      in the par-    lour    what'll 
I      do cat      in the but-ter
milk    lapping up    cream rab-bit  in the
corn    field   big as  a      mule hogs in the 
po-ta- to  patch   rooting up     corn dad's   
old    hat      and    ma- ma's old   shoe
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You can close your eyes (James Taylor, 1971)
X . X . X . X . X . X
. X . X . X . X XXX XXX Well, the
sun is sure- ly sink-
in' down, X . X . X .
X . X . X . X . X . X . X
XXX XXX but the moon is slow- ly
ris- ing. X . X . X
. X . X . X . X . X . X .
X XXX XXX So this old world
must still be spinnin'
round, X . X . X . X . X .
X . X . X . X . X XXX XXX
and I still love
you.
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(refrain)
X . X . X . X . X . X
. X . X . X . So close
your eyes, X . X
. X . X . X . X . X . X .
XXXX XXXX You can close
your eyes, it's all right.
X . X . X . X . X .
X . X . X I don't know
no love songs, . X . X
. X . X . X . X . X . X
XXXX and I can't sing the blues
an- y-more. . X
. X . X . X . X . X . X .
X But I can sing this song,
. X . X . X . X . X
. X . X . X X XXX and
you can sing this song
when I'm gone
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Syncopation in Rock, David Temperley. Popular
Music 18(1), 1999.
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(No Transcript)
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Jodies

• Rhymed couplets
• used in counting cadence while marching
• traditional or improvised
• History?
• References back to Civil War
• Attributed to
• Pvt. Willie Duckworth
• Fort Slocum, N.Y., May 1944
• Duckworth cadence

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Cadence calls are songs (usually delivered in an
eight count movement) that the military sing when
marching or running. The songs require a Caller,
who normally sets the pace and leads the
formation. The caller starts each line on his
left foot. The formation then repeats the line,
starting on the left foot. If everything goes
well, the caller and the formation develop a sort
of rapport. The effect can be mesmerizing. The
way a unit sounds while running or marching tends
to reflect on that unit's morale and leadership.
-Drill Sgt. Timothy P. Dunnigan, US Army
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Whos Jody?
The guy back home who has the things a soldier
leaves behind
Got a letter in the mail Go to war or go to jail
I used to date a beauty queen Now I date my
M-16 Ain't no use in lookin' down Ain't no
discharge on the ground
Ain't no use in going back Jody's got your
Cadillac Ain't no use in calling home Jody's
got your girl and gone Ain't no use in feeling
blue Jody's got your sister too
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Examples

• Traditional call and response couplet
• Couplets embedded in other cadence counts
• WWII era (?)
• Role in group running
• Many verses, old and new
• stories
• boasts
• complaints, teasing, etc.

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Other traditional couplets
Content can be serious or silly, subversive or
gung-ho.Syllable counts range from 7 to 11.
Jesse James said before he died There's five
things that he wanted to ride Bicycle, tricycle,
automobile A one-legged hooker and a ferris
wheel Jesse James said in his final will He had
five things that he wanted to kill A lion, a
tiger, a kangaroo A long haired hippie, and a
D.I. too And if'n he could kill just one He'd
kill the instructor, let the hippie run
I don't know but I been told If you die you don't
get old If I die in the combat zone Box me up and
ship me home Birdie birdie in the sky Dropped
some whitewash in my eye I won't fuss and I
won't cry I'm just glad that cows can't fly.
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Acoustic and metrical patterns?
D D B G B B D x x
x x x x x x x x x
x Ain't no use in go...ing home
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Acoustic Pattern
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Where are the claps?
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Line 2
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Line 3
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Line 4
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Another couplet
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Line 2
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Line 3
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Line 4
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Habanera rhythm (from contradanza habanera) 8
beats divided as 332 or 3(12)2 or
(12)(12)2
o o o o o o o1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 1 ...o o o o o o o
o oo o o o o o o o o o o
Musical notations
Common theme Positions 1,4,7 of 8 are strong1
4 may be resolved onto 2 5
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Slippin and a-Slidin (Little Richard)Habanera
rhythm in the brass
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o o o o o o o1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 1 ...o o o o o o o
o oo o o o o o o o o o o
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
o o o o o o
o o o o o o o o
slippin and a slid- in peepin and a hid- in
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 o
o o o o o o o
o been told a long time ago
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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 1 2
3 4 5 6 7 8 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8o
o o oo
o o o o o
oo o o o o o
o o o oI been told baby you been
bold I wont be your fool no more
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You can close your eyes (James Taylor, 1971)
X . X . X . X . X . X
. X . X . X . X XXX XXX Well, the
sun is sure- ly sink-
in' down, X . X . X .
X . X . X . X . X . X . X
XXX XXX but the moon is slow- ly
ris- ing. X . X . X
. X . X . X . X . X . X .
X XXX XXX So this old world
must still be spinnin'
round, X . X . X . X . X .
X . X . X . X . X XXX XXX
and I still love
you.
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(refrain)
X . X . X . X . X . X
. X . X . X . So close
your eyes, X . X
. X . X . X . X . X . X .
XXXX XXXX You can close
your eyes, it's all right.
X . X . X . X . X .
X . X . X I don't know
no love songs, . X . X
. X . X . X . X . X . X
XXXX and I can't sing the blues
an- y-more. . X
. X . X . X . X . X . X .
X But I can sing this song,
. X . X . X . X . X
. X . X . X X XXX and
you can sing this song
when I'm gone