Backbeat Placement Affects Tempo Judgments

Research on tempo perception has shown that it is effectively modeled by tactus rate (musical pulse), and aligns with the theory of metrical hierarchy. This research typically draws from common-practice music (music from the Western European tradition, ca. 1750-1900), and therefore does not address traits found in other repertoire that may contend with these claims. The current study investigated the impact of the backbeat, a ubiquitous rhythmic feature of popular music, on tempo perception. The experiment asked listeners to compare the tempos of pairs of excerpts with the same tactus rate. Pairs of excerpts were always presented with different backbeats, shifting to either half-time or double-time. Results indicated that half-time trials were perceived to be slower, and double-time trials were perceived to be faster, despite identical tactus rates and metrical hierarchies. The findings provide empirical support for the idea that established theories of tempo perception and metrical hierarchy may not entirely extend to other musical styles, and that the backbeat may be a metrical feature of popular music, rather than simply a rhythmic one.