Re: Rhythm perception (Linda Seltzer )

Subject: Re: Rhythm perception
From:    Linda Seltzer  <lseltzer(at)ALUMNI.CALTECH.EDU>
Date:    Wed, 16 Nov 2005 13:44:02 -0500

One possible difference between musicians and non-musicians:  Musicians
will tend to be aware of the style of the music and will then superimpose
previously learned knowldege of how that type of music "goes."  A
non-musician may be less inclined to match a current listening experience
with previously learned styles.  Specifically, in Indian music or African
music or jazz, experienced musicians have learned ideas of what to listen
for in order to know where they are in the rhythm.

It could be informative to determine when such musicians are successful in
"throwing off" the listener.  This would mean that the musician "crosses
over a line" between intelligible meter and confusing cross-rhythms.  One
example is the drumming from Benin in the CD set for the textbook entitled
Listen.