Studies Of Tempo Using a Double Timing Paradigm

Abstract

INSPIRED BY A STUDY of old jazz recordings, experiments were performed in which musicians and nonmusicians attempted to alternate between two tempi in the ratio of 2:1. In contrast to the historical recordings, the musicians were able to do this with reasonable accuracy. However, there was a tendency to compress the tempo range, as if gravitating towards an attractor tempo. When nonmusicians attempted to double a target tempo, they were able to jump back and forth between two apparently arbitrarily chosen tempi with reasonable consistency. This ability to alternate between two tempi unrelated by a simple integer ratio argues that people can simultaneously maintain at least two tempi in short term memory.

Absolute Memory for Tempo in Musicians and Non-Musicians

“…However, these anecdotal reports do not tell much about musicians who do not have this ability or on absolute tempo in non-musicians. Similarly to pitch, musical training stresses the role of tempo relations, such as for instance doubling or halving a tempo, and absolute tempo memory is typically not addressed [ 58 ]. Does AT exist?…”

The (Co)Evolution of Language and Music Under Human Self-Domestication

“… Listeners distinguish binary metric groups from ternary (Abecasis et al, 2005 ; Bergeson & Trehub, 2006 ; Clayton, 2000 ; Fraisse, 1982 ; Iyer, 1998 ; Jacoby et al, 2021 ; London, 2004 ; Monahan, 1993 ; Potter et al, 2009 ; Temperley, 2009 ). Listeners distinguish fast tempi from slow (Baruch & Drake, 1997 ; Collier & Collier, 2007 ; Dalla Bella et al, 2001 ; Ellis, 1992 ; Fraisse, 1982 ; Levitin & Cook, 1996 ; McAuley, 2010 ; Trainor et al, 2004 ; van Noorden & Moelants, 1999 ). Listeners experience music as virtual movement of a certain character, analogous to physical motion, but in imaginary space, formed by the alternation of tension-inducing and relaxation-inducing structures (Fraisse, 1982 ; Friberg & Sundberg, 1999 ; Iyer, 1998 ; Jackendoff & Lerdahl, 2006 ; Larson, 2012 ; Larson & McAdams, 2004 ; Larson & Vanhandel, 2005 ; Nazaikinsky, 1988 ; Nikolsky, 2015b ; Rothfarb, 1988 ).…”

“…Listeners distinguish fast tempi from slow (Baruch & Drake, 1997 ; Collier & Collier, 2007 ; Dalla Bella et al, 2001 ; Ellis, 1992 ; Fraisse, 1982 ; Levitin & Cook, 1996 ; McAuley, 2010 ; Trainor et al, 2004 ; van Noorden & Moelants, 1999 ).…”

The Japanese translation of the Gold-MSI: Adaptation and validation of the self-report questionnaire of musical sophistication

“…Although these estimates have been helpful, their thresholds and criteria vary considerably among laboratories, making it challenging to compare data on musical expertise across studies. For example, while many studies use 10 years as a cut-off point of musicianship (e.g., Nazari et al, 2018; Rammsayer & Altenmüller, 2006; Wolpert, 2000), many others may consider their participants musicians if they have 4–5 years of experience (e.g., Aksentijevic et al, 2014; Jimenez & Kuusi, 2018; Panagiotidi & Samartzi, 2013; Sadakata & Sekiyama, 2011; Schiavio & Timmers, 2016; Weijkamp & Sadakata, 2017; Yu et al, 2016) and, notably, some studies included 4, 5, and 6 years of experience as an upper cut-off point for defining non-musicians (Collier & Collier, 2007; Hansen et al, 2013; Madison & Merker, 2005; Olsen et al, 2018; Radvansky et al, 1995; Repp et al, 2012; Wolpert, 2000). Therefore, depending on the study, the same person with about 4–5 years of musical experience could be classified as a musician or non-musician.…”