Hocket
In music, hocket is a rhythmic and linear technique involving the alternation of notes, pitches, or chords. In medieval practice, a single melody is shared between two voices such that one voice sounds while the other rests, creating a staggered, interlocking texture.
History
In European music, hocket was prominent in vocal and choral compositions of the 13th and early 14th centuries. It was a defining feature of the Notre Dame school during the ars antiqua period, appearing in sacred vocal music and string compositions. By the 14th century, it was more common in secular vocal music. Though the term originates in medieval French motets, similar techniques appear globally under different names.The technique remains in use in contemporary music. Examples include Louis Andriessen's Hoketus; funk and stereo panning in American popular music; guitar duos like Robert Fripp/Adrian Belew in King Crimson and Tom Verlaine/Richard Lloyd in Television; gamelan music in Indonesia ; Andean siku ensembles; Ukrainian and Russian kuvytsi, Lithuanian skudučiai; handbell music; rara music in Haiti and gagá in the Dominican Republic.
Hocketing is also found in African traditions such as the Ba-Benzélé, Mbuti, Basarwa, the Gumuz tribe of Sudan, and the Gogo of Tanzania. In drum and bugle corps, it appears as "split parts" or "splits". Duke Ellington's "Braggin' in Brass" includes a rare jazz example.
Contemporary artists often integrate hocketing with other compositional techniques, such as alternating melodies, interlocking patterns, and stereo separation. While the term hoquet is antiquated, its principles are widely adapted in modern music production and performance.
The group Dirty Projectors prominently use hocketing in both instrumental and vocal arrangements. Frontman Dave Longstreth has expressed fascination with the medieval origins of these experimental techniques.