A Lexiconography of Groove: New Notation for an African Diasporic Technoculture

In exploring the relationship between African diasporic cultures and technology, scholar Alondra Nelson, in Future Text, offers a critical challenge to the conventional notion of the "digital divide." She argues that the history of the African diaspora is rich with theoretical frameworks that fundamentally overturn the perceived opposition between "blackness" and technology, providing fertile ground for contemporary theories of technoculture. Nelson specifically points to examples ranging from W. E. B. DuBois's early conceptualization of "fractured consciousness" to the complex, non-linear geometries evident in West African architecture, demonstrating that "black cultural prefigurations of our contemporary moment abound."

Drawing from this perspective, I have found inspiration not only in the architectural forms Nelson mentions but also in the intricate, abstract patterns found in African textiles, dyed cloths, woven mats, and various other cultural objects. To my eye, these complex visual languages—with their precise geometries, repetitions, and interconnections—bear a striking resemblance to the designs of contemporary circuit boards, electronic schematics, and digital diagrams. They suggest an inherent, ancient logic of organization and connectivity that predates and mirrors modern digital technology.

It is through these cultural and visual lineages that I have developed the concept for a unique compositional practice and a corresponding notation lexicon. This lexicon is designed to move beyond the limitations of traditional Western musical notation, offering a system of instructions that govern the creation of groove, the deployment of musical modes, the specification of tones, and various articulations. Crucially, the lexicon is constructed to be open-ended, allowing for a profound degree of personal ownership and creative license for both conductors and performers. The score itself is not a fixed command but a point of departure; it is the collective task of the ensemble to decode the symbolic language of the notation and collaboratively construct their interpretation.

While I often find the rigidity of the traditional five-line musical stave tedious, I recognize its utility for establishing foundational structure. I retain its use primarily to assign specific roles: to designate which instrument(s) or instrument type(s) will execute a particular musical act, or to map out the choreographic movement of performers between distinct sections of the piece.

The lexiconography is formally divided into four distinct banks of symbols and concepts:Lexicon Banks

I. Clefs

The clefs function as fundamental designators, shaping the role and sonic function of the instruments assigned to a particular line on the staff. My use of a clef in combination with a staff line suggests that an instrument's primary function is filtered through the specific lens of that clef.

• Percussion Clef: This clef instructs the player to focus on the percussive sonic capabilities of their instrument. This instruction is not exclusive to traditional percussion instruments; a woodwind player may use the sound of key clicks, a string player may strike or tap the body of their instrument, and so forth. Under this clef, rhythm and texture supersede considerations of definite pitch.

• Bells | Timeline Clef: Related to the Percussion Clef, this symbol imposes a strict rhythmic constraint. The player is confined to performing a repetitive loop, a fixed pattern often called a timeline, without variation or individual improvisation, functioning as the rhythmic anchor for the ensemble.

• Movement Clef: This clef denotes that the performer's action is primarily a physical gesture or choreographic instruction. The "music" produced is non-sonic and physical, and can involve the performer's full body or specific movements of their instrument. This clef can be used in combination with any of the other clefs to layer sonic and physical instructions.

• Fully Free Clef: This is the designation for completely open improvisation. It places no explicit demands on pitch, tone, specific movement, or rhythm. The player is given full autonomy to contribute their unique voice to the unfolding moment in time.

• Melodic Clef: This clef requires the player to find and execute specific melodic material. The details of this material—whether a defined pitch sequence, an implied contour, or a modal constraint—are most often provided by the combination of the notehead and/or actions coding placed on that clef's staff line.

II. Grooves

These terms designate specific rhythmic frameworks or underlying feels. They are the rhythmic chassis upon which the musical action unfolds.

• Bembe: A reference to the traditional 6/8 rhythmic pattern and feel used in various Afro-Cuban and West African traditions.

• 12/8 Afrobeat: A syncopated, high-energy rhythm common in Afrobeat, typically rooted in a compound meter feel.

• The Bomb (on the ONE): A command for a powerful, unifying, and heavily accented strike or sound that aligns with the downbeat (the first beat) of the measure.

• 4 on the Floor: The standard, relentless quarter-note pulse typical of house, techno, and disco music.

III. Tones | Noteheads

These symbols indicate the method of sound production or the desired spectral quality of the note, moving beyond simple pitch designation.

• Specific Pitch: The standard instruction for a definite, specified frequency.

• Play transforms to Humming: An instruction for the player to transition from playing their instrument to vocalizing a sound, often on the same pitch or contour.

• Undertones: A requirement to produce notes that emphasize the sub-harmonics of the instrument.

• Harmonics: A focus on the naturally occurring overtones of a fundamental note, often achieved through specialized techniques.

• Multiphonics: An instruction to intentionally produce two or more distinct pitches simultaneously on an instrument normally capable of only one.

IV. Actions

This bank contains instructions for performance techniques and temporal coordination.

• Wait for Cue: A command to hold action until a specific non-notated signal is given by the conductor or another designated player.

• Timed: A call for a sustained action or passage that must be precisely executed within a specified duration, independent of the overall rhythmic pulse.

• Blast: An instruction for a sudden, maximal volume, and often texturally dense, burst of sound.

• Bend Note Up or Down: A technique requiring the performer to slide the pitch of a note gradually, creating microtonal movement.

Improv in Specific Mode: A directive for a short, contained improvisation that must adhere strictly to the scalar constraints of a given musical mode.