Certain scale degrees that should "get" a certain rhythmic emphasis ?

[m1469]

I have been thinking a little more about rhythm and pulse and reading a book by Abby Whiteside where she suggests that "note-wise" reading will bring about problems with musical flow, whereas realizing and practicing a certain rhythmic or pulse-related musical reading (though I notice this with word-reading, too) will loosen some "chains" for musicians.

Well, in thinking about this, I was practicing some scales and decided to just experiment with thinking less about "notes" and more about a rhythmic pulse, and in so doing I have come up with this topic question.  I arrived at the question because it seemed possble that certain scale degrees (like 7, for example) may greatly benefit in their harmonic purpose/progression being guided and accompanied by a sort of specific rhythmic pulse.  Well, I JUST started thinking about this and I don't know if it's really true or not, though I can't help but latch onto the idea abit.

Anyway, along those lines, I started wondering .... IF it IS true, what I stated just above, are there certain kinds of emphasis (rhythmically/pulse-realtedly) that "should" "always" be given to certain scale degrees in order to really "bring out" its truest meaning ?  For example, "DO" landing on the "downbeat" of a measure or so.  If "do" were in a less defined are of a measure, and if it had less time alotted to its particular sounding, it would not have the same harmonic function ?

IF that WERE true, it seems this would have something to do with the vibrations that each note actually has.  And, if that is true, then probably every scale degree should have a certain rhythmic/pulse-related emphasis since all scale degrees are, in essence, a vibration ?

Now I am thinking ... I need to read these threads again regarding tonal emphasis, but I am thinking that these tonal emphasies are actually NOT much of anything without rhythmic/pulse-related properties.  Something like how the visual and aromatic elements of food will effect our perception of flavor.  Just pondering  .


Thanks,
m1469

[m1469]

In talking with a friend, I realize more clearly what my particular question may be :

I am wondering if the amount of time that a particular sound fills changes the harmonic function of that sound ?

[daniloperusina]

Your first question, does a particular harmony change it's function depending on which beat in the bar it appears on?
In terms of dominant, tonic etc, I think not. They still retain their dominant or tonic functions. But I think they can be more or less stable. A tonic that appears on the last beat of a bar could perhaps be so weak that the music cannot stay there.

Your second question: I will propose a theory that needs to be confirmed or dismissed. I remember reading something about this, but might remember wrongly, and have never particularly 'tried' it. But it goes like this: the longer a particular sound remains, the more dominant it becomes.

[m1469]

the longer a particular sound remains, the more dominant it becomes.

Well, after thinking about this a bit, I have finally realized I can actually say that I would like an example of this  .  I don't know if you know one, but if you do maybe you could bring it in .

Thanks for you response .

[counterpoint]

It depends on several things: the rhythm of the scale itself, the measure of the piece, the harmonic functions of course, if the note is part of the actual chord, if it's a dissonance, the dynamics etc. etc.

It's very complex and that's why music is so interesting: it is multidimensional