Subject: Re: Rhythm perception From: Edward Large <large(at)CCS.FAU.EDU> Date: Tue, 15 Nov 2005 09:33:17 -0500John, The start of a rhythmic pattern does not always coincide with the downbeat of a measure, so the relationship of beat (or meter) perception to the percept of "pattern" is not so clear. In music theoretic terms, the distinction is often made between grouping (delimiting phrases, or "patterns") and meter. For an excellent example of this distinction, see Lerdahl, F., & Jackendoff, R. (1983). A generative theory of tonal music. Cambridge: MIT Press. It is also important to note that the beginning of a repeating rhythmic pattern is a highly ambiguous percept. Garner & Gottwald demonstrated repeating patterns with 1, 2, 3, 4 and even 5 (if memory serves) possible starting points. Garner, W. R., & Gottwald, R. L. (1968). The perception and learning of temporal patterns. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 20 (2), 97-109. Garner & Gottwald explained their results in Gestalt terms. More recently, Boker & Kubovy have replicated the basic result and attempted to explain the phenomenon in information processing terms: Boker, S. M., & Kubovy, M. (1998). The perception of segmentation in sequences: Local information provides the building blocks of global structure. In D. A. Rosenbaum & C. E. Collyer (Eds.), Timing of behavior: Neural, computational, and psychological perspectives. (pp. 109-123). Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. Hope this helps, Ed Edward Large, Associate Professor Center for Complex Systems and Brain Sciences Florida Atlantic University On Nov 15, 2005, at 8:21 AM, Henkjan Honing wrote: > I guess the problem you refer to is "beat induction": how do > listeners arrive at a metrical interpretion when listening to a > rhythm. H.C. Longuet-Higgins was one of the first to address the > problem in a computational way (see H.C. Longuet-Higgings, Mental > Proceses. Studies in cognitive sciences, MIT press, 1987). The > literature since then is vast, approaching the problem with a wide > variety of computational paradigms (see, e.g., * for an overview, > or the papers in the "foot-tapping" session at ICMC 1992; **). > > Henkjan Honing > > * http://www.hum.uva.nl/mmm/abstracts/dh-100.html > ** http://www.hum.uva.nl/mmm/mmm-2003/fun/beat.html > > > On 15 Nov 2005, at 13:40, John ffitch wrote: > >> We were discussing rhythm patterns the other day and the question >> came >> up about how one determined the start of a pattern. If there is a >> heavy emphasis on one beat of the sequence then I can understand that >> that is taken as the first beat. >> But if the sequence is unemphasised how does one decide? Or do >> people decide differently, or is it cultural? >> >> I am not sure where to start to look -- as ever this is outside my >> general field of study -- but I though this list might be the place >> to ask for clues. >> >> I hope I have explained the question sufficiently! >> >> ==John ffitch > > > > ************************************ > > Henkjan Honing > E honing(at)uva.nl > I http://www.hum.uva.nl/mmm/hh/ > > Music Cognition Group > I http://www.hum.uva.nl/mmm/ > F feed://www.hum.uva.nl/mmm/news.rss > > ************************************ >