Why have humans got a sense of beat?
Posted by: Consciousmess on 19 August 2016
Hi, thought I'd start a new thread as it branches off from my question on why humans like music.
Yes, this question is linked, but in its own right, different. A human can play drums and be recorded by a computer to be at a regular tempo. Why is that so? What adaptive advantage did it give us? Communication?
Now, I appreciate that the judgement of it being in tempo is of humans by humans, so mathematically it is maybe a self justifying tautology: "I think it is in beat" "Why?" "Because I said so".
As what is 'time'? And what does 'in beat' mean?
Yet another bizzare question from the OP...
This is getting quite intriguing now.
As to the question. It's down to how individual members of the band play and interact with each other. Example:
As a bass player I have basic 3 choices how to interact with a drum beat;
1. On the beat - I try to play each note in the middle of the kick or snare. This is a prevailing style.
2. Ahead of the beat - this creates a sense of urgency to music, as the melodic part of a bass pattern appears to rush ahead
3. Behind the beat - this a slightly laid back almost swing like style.
BigH47 posted:Not all humans have a sense of rhythm (beat) as our sons music teacher told us. He does enjoy the beat of music though.
I think the teacher is taking it a little bit too easy. They may not have the 'natural rythym'.
But all is not lost - he just doesn't know what to listen to. Take a simple track, break it to him in terms of: kick drum & snare drum. Let him focus only on that. Tell him to ignore all the rest and other instruments. You may be surprised at the outcome 