MEASURING RHYTHMIC COMPLEXITY IN KOREAN JANGGU JANGDAN: A SYNCOPATION-BASED APPROACH

Seokbeom Park, Danbinaerin Han, Kyung Myun Lee

Submission Type: 2-page Extended Abstract (Non-archival) / 2페이지 Extended Abstract (프로시딩 미수록)

Keywords: Rhythmic complexity, Korean traditional music, Jangdan, Syncopation

Abstract: Syncopation has been established as an objective measures of rhythmic complexity in Western popular music, yet its applicability to non-Western traditions remains underexplored. This study adapted existing syncopation indices for Korean traditional janggu jangdan by decomposing them into monophonic components for each instrument layer—gung and chae—and by developing a syncopation index that accounts for polyphonic interactions. Ninety-four participants rated the perceived rhythmic complexity of 40 jangdan patterns and 50 Western drum patterns. Correlational analysis showed that monophonic chae syncopation and polyphonic syncopation with optimized instrumental weights outperformed existing drum syncopation indices in predicting perceived complexity. This study introduces the first computational method for Korean jangdan's rhythmic complexity, proving that syncopation metrics can extend to non-Western traditions through culture-specific adaptation.

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Submission Number: 5