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In Ayurvedic medicine body types are grouped into three main categories, or doshas: vata, pitta, and kappa. Your dosha is determined by how quickly you anger and metabolize, which foods you seek out and eschew, etc. It’s not going to be able to predict your blood pressure or heart rate, but determining your dosha can be a great DIY diagnostic exercise; however, I sometimes I wish there were a similar system to help calculate the rate at which & style in which we think and consequently express ourselves. Something like a time signature for our brains. I’ve known whippet-thin people with giant metabolisms who talk exceedingly ritardando. And vice versa. Obviously, drugs like caffeine and alcohol will duly play their part in affecting the way in which we think and hence communicate, but I’m interested in exactly what basal rpm is going on in my brain–and yours! So my question to you is: if your brain had a time signature, what would it be? And to extend it further–to your soul, if you will–what what your key signature be?
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What you’re really interested in is tempo, not time signature. The time signature just tells where the stressed beats are. The same time signature can be used for many different tempos. And, yes, people do actually have their own personal tempos, which is particularly pronounced when they are young. It is also thought that children have a personal pitch–the one they most frequently use when crying and making other sounds. Supposedly, if you sing the child’s personal pitch back to her, it will make her stop crying. Some children do seem to respond better to certain tonalities, too. (I’m a music ed. Ph.D. student and teach early childhood music.)
posted by Kristen on 10-13-2007 at 7:22 am
I agree with what Kristen said about your inner ‘tempo’ not ‘time signature’ although, you can ask for both! So I will: I am an Allegro Ma Non Troppo y Poco Brilliante. Which means “Fast, but not too fast and somewhat Brightly”. As far as pegging down a key signature as a description of the state of the soul- In the music realm (at least in academics) the key signature is so important as other means of identifying the “tone character” of a piece. I would actually identify with a MODE better- say Dorian or SuperDorian.
posted by Ashley on 10-13-2007 at 4:54 pm
I think you can have a time signature. I think I’m probably around a 9/8 (conducted in one) allegretto, with some phrases in a 3/4 largo. You know-the songs that make the conductor look like their flailing around like mad.
posted by Katie B on 10-13-2007 at 5:08 pm
Definitely ritardando! Thanks for adding that one to my inner lexicon.
posted by Ransom on 10-14-2007 at 9:42 am
I’m allegro. DUH.
posted by Allegra on 10-14-2007 at 2:51 pm
I’ll return to the original statement: my life feels like a bouncy 5/4 time (which can feel awkward at first, but then you get used to it), with the odd 3/8 measure thrown in on occasion, just to throw things off.
As to my soul key: F! (I’m a Hornist, so natch). With dips into a minor key just for variety.
posted by Karl on 10-15-2007 at 8:15 am
Bb Minor in 23/16
posted by Nick on 10-15-2007 at 9:05 am