Comments on "Tactus ≠ Tempo: Some Dissociations Between Attentional Focus, Motor Behavior, and Tempo Judgment" by Justin London

Abstract

Objective measures of musical tempo are linked to a particular metrical pulse, and this is most likely true for subjective tempo as well. Therefore, tapping along with a rhythm should be predictive of relative tempo judgments. The difficulty of such judgments may lie in the choice of a particular metrical level as the referent. Multiple levels may compete and create ambiguity. Analogies are drawn with pitch perception from certain types of complex tones.

Keywords

• tempo
• meter
• tactus
• tapping
• pitch
• timbre