ACCENT AND REGNANT HARMONY 161 



period may be expanded into longer and longer waves 

 or periods and the form of a wave or period may be 

 regular or irregular while every form is reducible into 

 the elementary rhythm-numbers 2 and 3. Equili- 

 brium, the shaping principle, requires a wave of one 

 length to be followed and balanced by another wave 

 of the same length. A long period or great wave is a 

 balanced composite of successively shorter and shorter 

 balanced periods or waves whose relative lengths and 

 intensities are equal divisions and subdivisions of the 

 whole, the balance of each being relative to that of 

 all the others in the balanced whole in accordance 

 with the inherent principle of form. Among all these 

 waves or periods there is one which is at once the 

 characteristic and fundamental rhythm inherent in 

 and reported by every phrase of melody. This 

 foundation-period, the predominating and character- 

 istic pulse of music-thought and feeling I name the 

 suhrhythm. The symbol of the subrhythm is the 

 measure. When two-pulse the subrhythm is written 

 in dual measure; when three-pulse, in triple measure. 

 The subrhythm is the thing itself, the basic rhythm- 

 idea, while the measure is only its symbol. Since 

 the names of things and those of their symbols are not 

 interchangeable, and since we possess no term for 

 what is here designated as subrhythm, I do not hesitate 

 to add this term to our overstocked nomenclature. 

 Periods shorter than the subrhythm play upon the 

 subrhythm, they present the play of rhythm upon 

 rhythm. Periods longer than the subrhythm are ex- 

 pansions of the subrhythm first into phrases, next 

 into groups of phrases, next into groups of groups of 



