List of illustrations; Foreword Gyorgy Ligeti; Preface; Acknowledgements; Map; Book I. The Music of the Central African Republic: 1. General introduction; 2. The general features of traditional music; 3. Typology; Book II. African Polyphonic Music: Introduction; 1. A classification of African polyphonies; 2. Previous studies: the present state of the subject; Book III. Technical Tools: Methods of Recording Polyphonic Music For Transcription: 1. The need for transcription; 2. The difficulties of transcription; 3. Earlier methods; 4. Towards a new method; 5. Theoretical assumptions; 6. Technical equipment: description and use; 7. From recording to transcription; 8. Checking the results; 9. Potentialities; 10. Anthropological acceptability; Book IV. Theoretical Tools: 1. The notion of relevance; 2. Description and analysis; 3. The question of transcription; Book V. The Organisation of Time In African Music: 1. A brief survey of Western rhythmics; 2. Towards precise terminology; 3. African rhythmics; Book VI. Structural Principles And Their Applications: 1. Typology; 2. Analytical notions; 3. Strict polyrhythmics; 4. Polyrhythmics as a way to polyphony: Hocket; 5. Polyphony produced by melodic instruments; 6. The association of polyphony and polyrhythmics; Conclusion; Bibliography; Discography; Index.