Variations on a theme by Chopin: Relations between perception and production of timing in music

Journal/Book: J Exp Psychol Hum Percep Perf. 1998; 24: 750 First St NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242. Amer Psychological Assoc. 791-811.

Abstract: A note interonset interval (IOI) increment in mechanically timed music is more difficult to detect where expressive lengthening typically occurs in artistic performance. Experiment 1 showed this in an excerpt from a Chopin etude and extended the task to 101 decrement detection. A simple measure of variation in perceptual bias was derived that correlated highly with the average timing pattern of pianists' performances, more so than with acoustic surface properties of the music. Similar results, but decreasing correlations, were obtained in each of four subsequent experiments in which the music was simplified in stages. Although local psychoacoustic effects on time perception cannot be ruled out completely, the results suggest that musical structure (melodic-rhythmic grouping in particular) has temporal implications that are reflected not only in musicians' motor behavior but also in listeners' time-keeping abilities.

Note: Article Repp BH, Haskins Labs Inc, 270 Crown St, New Haven,CT 06511 USA

Keyword(s): SCHUMANN TRAUMEREI; RHYTHM PATTERNS; PERFORMANCE; TIME; PIANO; DETECTABILITY; SEQUENCES; DURATION; MODEL; TONES

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