Beats in Time Across Music and Language

We discuss the possibility of a common abstract representation of time structures in an extended model of Autosegmental-Metrical Phonology for music and language, understanding both as communicative sound systems that rely on cognitive faculties shared by all human beings. Thus, the article is concerned with prominence and timing and their functions in linguistic and musical structures. First, we review the core characteristics of musical rhythm; second, we turn to review a range of linguistic configurations of time and prominence; third, we propose a new Autosegmental-Metrical account across music and language; and fourth, we conclude with a discussion of cognitive implications and the identification of some research topics that we hope to clarify in our theoretical perspective.