Rhythmic Techniques: Quick Reference

A practical guide to Messiaen's rhythmic innovations.

Core Principle: Ametric Precision

Messiaen's rhythms are ametric but not unmeasured:

• Exact durational values, precisely notated
• No periodic accent patterns or regular barlines
• Organization by pulse multiplication, not metric hierarchy

1. Added Values (Valeurs Ajoutées)

What: Add a small duration (note, rest, or dot) to disrupt symmetry.

How:

• Added note: Insert sixteenth-note into pattern
• Added rest: Insert sixteenth-rest into pattern
• Added dot: Extend one note by half its value

Effect: Creates "delicious limping"—patterns that suggest regularity while constantly evading it.

Example pattern:

Original:    ♩  ♩  ♩  ♩     (4 quarter-notes)
With added:  ♩  ♩. ♩  ♩     (added dot on 2nd note)

Tip: The "original" rhythm rarely appears unmodified—added values are present from the start.

2. Augmentation & Diminution

Classical (Proportional)

All values scale by same factor:

By Dot Addition/Withdrawal

Inexact Augmentation

Different voices augment at different rates simultaneously → creates polytempo effect.

3. Nonretrogradable Rhythms

What: Palindromic rhythms that read identically forwards and backwards.

Construction:

1. Choose a central value (the axis)
2. Build outward symmetrically
3. Values at equal distances from center must be identical

Simple example:

♪  ♩  ♪     (short-long-short)
← same →

Complex example:

♪ ♩ ♩. ♩ ♪
  ←──axis──→

Aesthetic significance: Creates sense of timelessness—no inherent beginning or end.

4. Prime Number Groupings

What: Organize rhythms in groups of 5, 7, 11, 13 (prime numbers).

Why: Primes cannot be evenly subdivided, creating maximum resistance to metric assimilation.

Example: Group of 7 sixteenth-notes

• Cannot parse as 2+2+2+1 comfortably
• Cannot parse as 3+3+1 comfortably
• Remains irreducibly "7"

5. Polyrhythm

Superposition of Unequal Lengths

Layer rhythms of different durations; they realign at their least common multiple.

Example: 5 against 7

• Voice A: pattern of 5 sixteenth-notes, repeating
• Voice B: pattern of 7 sixteenth-notes, repeating
• Realign after 35 sixteenth-notes

Superposition of Different Augmentations

Same rhythm at different time-scales simultaneously.

Rhythm Against Its Retrograde

Forward and backward versions sound together.

Rhythmic Canon

• Regular canon: staggered entries of same rhythm
• Canon by dot addition: following voice adds dots (1.5× stretch)
• Canon of nonretrogradables: palindromic material in canon

6. Rhythmic Pedal

What: A rhythm repeating ostinato-fashion, independent of surrounding material.

Function: Creates temporal anchor while other voices move freely—the rhythmic equivalent of a harmonic pedal point.

Can combine with:

• Melodic pedal (repeating pitch pattern of different length)
• Harmonic pedal (repeating chord pattern of different length)
• Creates three-dimensional phasing

7. Rhythmic Preparations & Descents

What: Apply melodic gesture concepts to rhythm.

Modification by added values:

• Elongated preparation → increased anticipation
• Slackened descent → prolonged resolution
• Retarded final descent → dissipating ending

8. Notation Strategies

First Notation: No Barlines

• Most faithful to ametric conception
• Best for solo or small ensemble
• Performers internalize durations directly

Second Notation: Changing Meters

• Stravinsky's method
• Meter changes match rhythmic accents
• Demanding for conductors

Third Notation: Rhythmic Signs

• Short measures with beat-count numbers
• Special signs indicate beat durations
• Requires ensemble training

Fourth Notation: False Meter

• Regular barlines with syncopation/accents
• Contradicts conception but aids performance
• Most practical for large ensembles

Key principle: Regardless of notation, exact values are non-negotiable.

Transformation Cheat Sheet

Historical Sources

The "Charm" Test

A successful Messiaen-influenced rhythm should:

• ✓ Be precisely measurable (not vague)
• ✓ Avoid regular metric accent
• ✓ Contain some asymmetry or "impossibility"
• ✓ Be related to other rhythms by clear transformation
• ✓ Serve expressive purpose (not just technical display)