Keep the beat, say rhythm researchers

[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/beatresearch.jpg” caption=”Michael Schutz, an assistant professor of music in the School of the Arts, has found that keeping the beat while listening to music not only helps people feel and enjoy the music but also helps them hear it better. File photo.”]Why we do move when we hear good music? Researchers at McMaster University have
found that tapping to the beat measurably enriches the listening experience,
broadening our capacity to understand timing and rhythm.

The research, recently presented at the Acoustics Week in Canada conference in Quebec
City, probes the complex relationship between perception and action.

“We set out to answer a simple question: Can moving to the beat actually help us
understand the music?” said Michael Schutz, an assistant professor of music in the
School of the Arts at McMaster, who designed and conducted the study. “We found that
tapping along while listening does more than help us feel and enjoy the music. It
actually helps us hear it better.”

Participants in the study heard a series of regular beats and were asked whether the
final beat was consistent with the preceding rhythm. They then rated their confidence to
each response. On half of the trials subjects were asked to tap along on an electronic
drum pad; on the other half they listened without tapping.

When the experimenters played the final tone after participants would have expected
the beat, listeners performed 87 per cent better at detecting the change when tapping
versus listening passively. The tapping had little effect on performance when
researchers played the tone early or on time.

These findings have implications for listeners, performers, and music educators alike,
said Schutz.

“From a young age, we teach students to move to the music while performing, and now
we know at least one reason why this is beneficial,” he explained. “This study sheds
light on why moving while playing helps musicians keep time and improves their overall
performance.”

Schutz and his team also found that participants who tapped to the beat felt more
confident in their responses compared to those who did not tap.

“Not only does moving to the beat help us keep track of the rhythm, it increases
listeners' confidence in their understanding of the music's structure, whether or not
participants actually performed better,” said Fiona Manning, a graduate student working
on the project.

The research was funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council
(NSERC) of Canada and the Faculty of Humanities.