Music and Language Comparisons with nPVI

Abstract This chapter focuses on the analysis of rhythmic variability through computational methods, specifically the normalized pairwise variability index (nPVI). This metric was first proposed by Grabe and Low in 2002 as a metric for analyzing variability in speech, and Patel and Daniele, in 2003, applied it to the variability of melodies in their comparison of the rhythmic elements of melody and speech. This chapter covers the applications of the nPVI metric, some expansions and criticisms of it, and suggests possible ways forward as scholars continue to analyze rhythmic complexity through computational and corpus-based methods.