Cantometrics is the analysis of traditional or folk songs. Initially developed by Alan Lomax in 1959, this process includes measurements beyond the conventional elements of melody, harmony, and rhythm.
Cantometrics relates folk music to sociological traits, arguing that the characteristics of a culture's traditional music reflect that culture's social organization, including class stratification, gender relations, and sexual mores. This is an example of sociological homology.
Further Reading
- Middleton, Richard (1990/2002). Studying Popular Music. Philadelphia: Open University Press. ISBN 0335152759.
- Lomax, Alan (1959). "Folk Song Style." American Anthropologist 61 (Dec. 1959): 927-54. [1]
