TEMPO AND PROSODY IN TURKISH TAKSIM IMPROVISATION

Abstract

Instrumental improvisation in Turkish makam music, the taksim, is considered to be free-rhythm, that is its rhythm develops without the underlying template of a meter or continuous organized pulsation. In this paper, we want to examine how in this setting , rhythmic idioms are formed and maintained throughout a performance. For this, we will apply a simple signal processing approach. We show differences that can be observed between performers, and raise the question if a tempo could be evoked by certain regularities in the occurring rhythmic elaborations.