What Are the Four Principles of Groove?

Throughout this book, I explain four principles that produce groove. What are these four principles? First, let us look at the overall structure of the Four Principles of Groove.

Four Principles of Groove

Groove has four pairs of opposing elements.

  1. A: Strong-Beat Precedence and B: Weak-Beat Precedence
  2. A: Head Alignment and B: Tail Alignment
  3. A: Strong-Beat Anchoring Axis and B: Weak-Beat Anchoring Axis
  4. A: 2⁻ⁿ Rhythm and B: 3⁻ⁿ Rhythm

These are called the Four Axes of Groove.

These pairs correspond respectively to the following phonological elements:

  1. A: Minimum Onset Principle (MiOP) and B: Maximum Onset Principle (MOP)
  2. A: Front-Focus and B: End-Focus
  3. A: Mora Isochrony and B: Syllable-Nucleus Isochrony
  4. A: Final-Consonant Avoidance and B: Final-Consonant Intrusiveness

Behind these pairs lies a hidden concept called the P-center. They can be organized around the P-center.

The A side consists of:

  1. Strong-Beat Precedence — Minimum Onset Principle (MiOP)
  2. Head Alignment — Front-Focus
  3. Strong-Beat Anchoring Axis — Mora Isochrony
  4. 2⁻ⁿ Rhythm — Final-Consonant Avoidance

This side is called Postcentric, or Tatenori.

Tatenori has qualities directly opposed to groove. It evokes stillness, stability, fixity, hardness, and immobility. This quality is called Anti-Groove.

The B side consists of:

  1. Weak-Beat Precedence — Maximum Onset Principle (MOP)
  2. Tail Alignment — End-Focus
  3. Weak-Beat Anchoring Axis — Syllable-Nucleus Isochrony
  4. 3⁻ⁿ Rhythm — Final-Consonant Intrusiveness

This side is called Precentric, or Yokonori.

Yokonori evokes dynamism, instability, flexibility, and movement. This quality is called Groove.

Four Conditions of Groove

When music feels groovy, all or some of the following four conditions are satisfied:

  • Weak-Beat Precedence
  • Tail Alignment
  • Weak-Beat Anchoring Axis
  • 3⁻ⁿ Rhythm

These are called the Four Conditions of Groove.

In other words, acquiring Weak-Beat Precedence, Tail Alignment, the Weak-Beat Anchoring Axis, and 3⁻ⁿ Rhythm is the key to developing groove.

Four Conditions of Anti-Groove

Japanese rhythms often satisfy all or some of the following conditions:

  • Strong-Beat Precedence
  • Head Alignment
  • Strong-Beat Anchoring Axis
  • 2⁻ⁿ Rhythm

These are called the Four Conditions of Anti-Groove.

As for why Japanese people are tatenori, we look in detail at Why Are Japanese People Tatenori?.

Then how can one overcome tatenori? That is also the purpose of this text. Over a long time from now on, we will find out the long road for overcoming tatenori = Rhythmdo.

Strong-Beat Precedence and Weak-Beat Precedence

When notes appear as a pair of two in a form such as leading tones, when that pair always begins from a weak beat, this is called weak-beat precedence.

When notes appear as a pair of two in a form such as leading tones, when that pair always begins from a strong beat, this is called strong-beat precedence.

Or, even when notes do not become a pair of two and appear alone, it is also called strong-beat precedence.

Japanese people have the characteristic that when they hear a rhythm composed in weak-beat precedence, they cannot understand it and become confused. This is called tatenori. As for why Japanese people become tatenori, we look in detail at Why Are Japanese People Tatenori?.

As for what strong-beat precedence and weak-beat precedence are, we look in detail at Which Comes First, the Strong Beat or the Weak Beat?.

Strong-beat precedence and weak-beat precedence are related to the essence of groove. The essence of groove sounding three-dimensional lies in the multidimensionality of rhythm. In rhythm where weak beats precede, different note values take on the role of a new axis called height, and therefore have a multidimensional structure. However, in rhythm where strong beats precede, all rhythms overlap with each other, so different note values do not produce a new axis, and as a result the rhythm does not have a multidimensional structure. Rhythm without a multidimensional structure becomes rhythm with a flat impression.

As for this multidimensionality of rhythm, we look in detail at Multi-Layered Weak-Beat-Oriented Rhythm.

And as for why strong-beat precedence and weak-beat precedence occur, we look in detail at Multi-Layered Weak-Beat-Oriented Rhythm.

Head Alignment and Tail Alignment

A rhythm structure in which melody always begins from a specific beat number within the measure (approximately beat 1) and does not have a clear ending is called head alignment.

A rhythm structure in which melody does not have a particularly clear specific position and begins irregularly, and always ends clearly at a specific beat number within the measure (approximately beat 1), is called tail alignment.

Japanese people have the characteristic that when they hear a rhythm of tail-alignment structure, they cannot understand it and become confused. This is called tatenori. As for why Japanese people become tatenori, we look in detail at Why Are Japanese People Tatenori?.

What head alignment and tail alignment are, and why head alignment and tail alignment occur, we look in detail at Multi-Layered Weak-Beat-Oriented Rhythm.

Strong-Beat Axis and Weak-Beat Axis

When trying to perform swing or shuffle, when the position of the strong beat is always fixed, appears every time in the same position, and one tries to express the nuance of swing or shuffle by moving while measuring the position of the weak beat as a relative distance from the strong beat, this is called the strong-beat axis.

The strong-beat axis may at a glance be thought natural. However, actual overseas performers perform rhythm with the opposite recognition.

When trying to perform swing or shuffle, when the position of the weak beat is always fixed, appears every time in the same position, and one tries to express the nuance of swing or shuffle by moving while measuring the position of the strong beat as a relative distance from the weak beat, this is called the weak-beat axis.

When a person with strong-beat-axis rhythm recognition sees the weak-beat axis and excludes it as heresy, or applies social sanctions, this is called the weak-beat geocentric theory.

Objectively grasping rhythm, understanding weak-beat-axis rhythm recognition, and rationally accepting it is called the strong-beat heliocentric theory.

As for strong-beat axis and weak-beat axis, we look in detail at Weak-Beat Geocentric Theory and Strong-Beat Heliocentric Theory.

2⁻ⁿ Rhythm and 3⁻ⁿ Rhythm

Not only when performing triplet-type rhythms such as swing and shuffle, but also when performing rhythms such as 8-beat and 16-beat, when one makes heavy use of polyrhythms based on triple meter or 3, and the nuance of rhythmic displacement always converges to magnitudes that are negative powers of 3 such as 1/3, 1/9, and 1/27, the rhythm of a person whose rhythm sense is rooted in 3 is called 3⁻ⁿ rhythm.

— This 3⁻ⁿ rhythm exists in the essence of African rhythm and of Western folk songs such as Celtic and Gael.

Not only when performing triplet-type rhythms such as swing and shuffle, but also when performing rhythms such as 8-beat and 16-beat, when one is always rooted in the rhythm of 2, does not make much use of polyrhythms based on triple meter or 3, and the nuance of rhythmic displacement always converges to magnitudes that are negative powers of 2 such as 1/4, 1/8, and 1/16, the rhythm of a person whose rhythm sense is rooted in 2 is called 2⁻ⁿ rhythm.

— This 2⁻ⁿ rhythm exists in the essence of all music in Japan influenced by Western music, such as Japanese game music and anime songs.

As for what kind of sound 3⁻ⁿ rhythm is, we actually listen to it in The World Is Made of 3⁻ⁿ Meter.

As for 3⁻ⁿ rhythm and 2⁻ⁿ rhythm, we look at the theoretical details in 3⁻ⁿ Groove and 2⁻ⁿ Groove

As for what kind of sound 2⁻ⁿ rhythm is, we have prepared some samples in Why Are Japanese People Tatenori?.

Minimum Onset Principle (MiOP) and Maximum Onset Principle (MOP)

The Minimum Onset Principle refers to the tendency not to group final consonants and consonant clusters into a single onset cluster, but instead to place each one afterward as an independent mora. This is a feature of mora-timed rhythm. In this book, it corresponds to Strong-Beat Precedence, in which subsequent elements are added to a strong beat that has already been perceived.

By contrast, the Maximum Onset Principle assigns consonants between syllables to the onset of the following syllable as far as the language’s syllable structure permits. Because the onset precedes the syllable nucleus, this book associates it with Weak-Beat Precedence, in which a weak beat anticipates the following strong beat.

Front-Focus and End-Focus

Here, Front-Focus and End-Focus do not refer to grammatical information focus. They are terms specific to this book that indicate whether the beginning or the end serves as the reference point when an utterance is organized in time.

With Front-Focus, the beginning of the utterance is established first, and subsequent elements are then added after it. When this temporal perception is projected onto music, it becomes Head Alignment, which aligns starting positions without fixing the ending.

With End-Focus, the endpoint of the utterance is anticipated, and preceding elements are arranged toward it. When this temporal perception is projected onto music, it becomes Tail Alignment, which aligns ending positions rather than starting positions.

Mora Isochrony and Syllable-Nucleus Isochrony

Here, isochrony does not mean that every sound has exactly the same physical duration. It refers to the tendency for a particular unit of pronunciation to recur as a perceptual reference for time.

With Mora Isochrony, the mora is the basic unit for measuring time, and the beginning of each mora serves as the reference point for temporal perception. In this book, this perception corresponds to the Strong-Beat Anchoring Axis, in which the strong-beat position remains fixed while the weak beat is adjusted.

With Syllable-Nucleus Isochrony, pronunciation is organized by anticipating the position of the syllable nucleus or P-center that follows the onset. This book hypothesizes that, when projected onto music, this anticipation becomes the Weak-Beat Anchoring Axis, in which the position of the strong beat is adjusted relative to a preceding weak beat.

Final-Consonant Avoidance and Final-Consonant Intrusiveness

Final-Consonant Avoidance is the tendency to strongly restrict consonants that can occur at the end of a syllable and to avoid final consonants through vowel insertion or division into independent morae.

By contrast, Final-Consonant Intrusiveness is a term specific to this book for the property of retaining a final consonant after the syllable nucleus, allowing that consonant to cross the boundary into the following syllable and influence the organization of pronunciation and rhythm.

This book associates the perception that divides final consonants into independent units with 2⁻ⁿ Rhythm, and the perception that connects adjacent units across syllable boundaries with 3⁻ⁿ Rhythm. This correspondence is a theoretical hypothesis of this book and will be examined through concrete examples in later sections.

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