Factors influencing the precision of doubling and halving of tempo (contribution to psychology of music)

In the two experiments the ability of amateur musicians to execute change o f a tempo of their finger tapping in temporal ratios 2:1 (doubling) or 1:2 (halving) under base tempi with duration of beat interval ranging from 400 to 1500 msec was studied. The results showed that doubling and halving of a tempo was not performed exactly. The accuracy of doubling/halving of a tem po was affected mostly by the speed of the base tempo. Two distinctive tend encies were found. In fast tempi the difference from expected values corres ponding to 2:1 (1:2) ratio decreased with the increase of a rate of the tem po, while in slower tempi the trend was the opposite. The task was performe d most precisely in intermediate tempi with beat intervals 500 and 600 msec . The occurrence of two distinctive tendencies and the transient point betw een them refer to the well-know perceptual phenomenon of indifference inter val (Horing, 1864; Vierordt, 1868).