Rhythmic Randomness vs. Melodic Randomness

["Rick Walker" <looppool@cruzio.com>]

In the Vari speed thread (fascinating by the way) 
a lot is talked about doing things that generate random rhythms to 
play against.

This seems to be a very popular technique used by a lot of looping artists 
I've seen playing live.

Firstly, let me say that I like a lot of randomness,  constraint of 
randomness and experimental and 'outside' types of music,  
but I also had this thought:

I am a rhythmatist (a pro drummer/percussionist for over 30 years) and 
I've 
come to believe that every rhythm has a distinct personality and effect on 
the nervous system.    It is why you can play a simple 8th note quantized 
R&B rhythm and introduce one 16th note off beat on snare or kick and the 
rhythm is no longer an R&B rhythm,  it is a Funk rhythm.

In much the same way,  the scalar constraints made in melodic music have 
much to do with the definition of a piece of music.   A Lydian, Flat 7 
scale 
with the same scale pitch notes played in a melody sounds completely 
different from a Dorian scale as an example.

And yet,  people very infrequently introduce chromatic randomness into 
music 
(I know, I know.......some do)  but they always thing it's cool and hip to 
do the same thing to Rhythmic randomness and when they do, it's considered 
to be very avant garde or outside and thus, hard for mass culture to take, 
aesthetically.

I think it probably offends my groove sensibility as much to hear this 
rhythmic randomness done constantly as it might a Classical composers' 
offense at hearing a composition with random Chromatic melodicism 
introduced.

Why does rhythmic randomness seem far more accepted than melodic or 
harmonic 
randomness?

They both have very strong effects on the listener.

Any thoughts?    I'm perplexed, frankly.








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