What Are the Four Principles of Groove

In this book, throughout the whole book, I explain the existence of four principles of grooving. What are these four principles? First, let us look at the overall picture of these four principles of groove.

The Four Principles of Groove

Rhythm has four elements.

strong-beat precedence and weak-beat precedence
head alignment and tail alignment
strong-beat axis and weak-beat axis
2⁻ⁿ rhythm and 3⁻ⁿ rhythm

In this way, the four elements are each opposing elements.

This is called The Four Axes of Groove.

Four Conditions of Groove

When one feels groove in music, it is always in the state of

weak-beat precedence
tail alignment
weak-beat axis
3⁻ⁿ rhythm

…there is such a law.

This is called The Four Principles of Groove.

In other words, how to acquire weak-beat precedence, tail alignment, weak-beat axis, and 3⁻ⁿ rhythm, these four, becomes the focus for acquiring groove.

Four Conditions of Tatenori

From the context of overseas, the rhythm produced by Japanese music is often described as stiff, lacking dynamism, square, without a sense of breathing, without nuance, not swinging, landing every time, not matching one’s taste, mechanical, like anime songs, like game music, and so on. This is not necessarily uttered as a negative view, but in scenes where it is evaluated as an overseas local culture such as classical music or jazz, it often makes people frown.

These Japanese rhythms are always in the state of

strong-beat precedence
head alignment
strong-beat axis
2⁻ⁿ rhythm

…there is such a law.

This is called The Four Principles of Tatenori.

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 weak 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?.

Table of contents

Offbeat Count Theory