Re: Rhythm perception

[Henkjan Honing <honing@xxxxxx>]

On 15 Nov 2005, at 16:56, Leon van Noorden wrote:

> I would say that finding the downbeat comes after beat induction.

The insight of Longuet-Higgins (sorry to keep promoting him) was that  
determining the “downbeat,” and consequently the perception of a  
beat, is essentially an incremental process. The first note you hear  
is, of course, by definition the downbeat. When hearing a second one  
you can choose, after n notes there are innumerable possibilities:  
“in principle infinitely ambiguous, but this ambiguity is seldom  
apparent to the listener.” So, which one comes first is a relative  
notion.

Next to this I am convinced that the notion of “downbeat” (i.e.  
phase, not period) is indeed a cultural phenomenon – the “Maracatu”  
example (mentioned by Dan) being a good example.

Henkjan

P.S. It might be interesting to note is that the ability pick up a  
regular beat from a sound signal, even while it is not explicitly in  
the rhythm, is a typical (almost uniquely) human cognitive skill,  
that allow us to synchronize, clap, dance and make music together.


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Henkjan Honing
E honing@xxxxxx
I http://www.hum.uva.nl/mmm/hh/

Music Cognition Group
I http://www.hum.uva.nl/mmm/
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