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Ground - The static underlayment to support other higher profile "voice(s)."

Ground is an element of relative stasis which implies a lead voice(s) over it (though Ground may develop into a Sound Mass with no lead voice). How the Ground is articulated can vary a good deal. Examples include: sustained tone, chord or noise; rhythmically periodic sustained tone, chord or noise; periodic event or figure, chord or noise; arrhythmically periodic sound event or figure; etc. What defines the Ground as such is how it is perceived to function; the Ground may well include periodic or aperiodic silences, as well as complexity and textural/rhythmic interest, so long as it continues with a high degree of perceived stasis.

Source:
Free Ensemble Improvisation, Harald Stenström
Academy of Music and Drama
Faculty of Fine, Applied and Performing Arts
University of Gothenburg
site link

source: Nunn (1998) quoted & discussed in Free Ensemble Improvisation, Harald Stenström, page 90 url link 1

source: Nunn (1998) Wisdom of The Impulse. On the Nature of Musical Free Improvisation. pdf part 1 page 26 of 50 url link 1

Topic ticket number T1393

TS of Preston added, `Ground : to act as background or foundation`
PM notes this is a short-hand, or shorter version of the starting definition, easier to remember

This is the topic thread for Ground - relational functions