A book I once read about circadian rhythms made me aware of our
changing perception of time over the course of the day. It's easy to
prove to yourself. When you wake up in the morning, try to imagine the
tick of a second hand on a clock and then go to a clock with a second
hand and see how you're dragging behind. Much later in the day you may
actually be rushing ahead of the clock.
This must have a significant effect, not only on performance during a
session, but on choosing the proper tempo of a song. In your experience
have you found this to be so?
Maybe there's a best time of the day to record certain styles of song?
Jeff

straightnut wrote On 03/28/06 07:09,:
A book I once read about circadian rhythms made me aware of our
changing perception of time over the course of the day. It's easy to
prove to yourself. When you wake up in the morning, try to imagine the
tick of a second hand on a clock and then go to a clock with a second
hand and see how you're dragging behind. Much later in the day you may
actually be rushing ahead of the clock.
This must have a significant effect, not only on performance during a
session, but on choosing the proper tempo of a song. In your experience
have you found this to be so?
Maybe there's a best time of the day to record certain styles of song?
Jeff


Let me see if I can answer this without speeding up or slowing down...

I have found that for any given song, there is a "window" in which the song will sound best. For
example, if a song is supposed to be 120 bpm, the window for that song may be +/- 5 bpm and not
sound like it's rushed or dragging. Go outside that window and the song will not work.

If you want to record a song that talks about being tired, record the music side when you're awake
and alert, but record the vocals when you really are tired.

Personally,I have found that I can better "mimic" emotional states when I am fully alert than if I
am tired. But I attribute this to many years touring and performing experience. Performance of music
is, after all, a form of acting, each song being a self contained play/vignette.

I have not found circadian rhythm to be... a... signi... fi... cant......... fac... tor...........
in.... my... playing........ but............. I............. have.................. been
known......... to..........be....................... wrong.

--Fletch

Fletch wrote:
straightnut wrote On 03/28/06 07:09,:
A book I once read about circadian rhythms made me aware of our
changing perception of time over the course of the day. It's easy to
prove to yourself. When you wake up in the morning, try to imagine the
tick of a second hand on a clock and then go to a clock with a second
hand and see how you're dragging behind. Much later in the day you may
actually be rushing ahead of the clock.
This must have a significant effect, not only on performance during a
session, but on choosing the proper tempo of a song. In your experience
have you found this to be so?
Maybe there's a best time of the day to record certain styles of song?
Jeff


Let me see if I can answer this without speeding up or slowing down...

I have found that for any given song, there is a "window" in which the song will sound best. For
example, if a song is supposed to be 120 bpm, the window for that song may be +/- 5 bpm and not
sound like it's rushed or dragging. Go outside that window and the song will not work.

If you want to record a song that talks about being tired, record the music side when you're awake
and alert, but record the vocals when you really are tired.

Personally,I have found that I can better "mimic" emotional states when I am fully alert than if I
am tired. But I attribute this to many years touring and performing experience. Performance of music
is, after all, a form of acting, each song being a self contained play/vignette.

I have not found circadian rhythm to be... a... signi... fi... cant......... fac... tor...........
in.... my... playing........ but............. I............. have.................. been
known......... to..........be....................... wrong.

--Fletch

I didn't mean to imply that one would slow down or speed up during an
actual take, only that during a morning session, no matter how alert,
the mind is behind the time, so to speak. And this might cause someone
to choose a slower tempo because it feels right at that time of the
day, only to find upon later listening that it drags a bit.
Conversely, if the tempo were chosen late in the day when our minds are
moving more quickly we might find the next morning that the song feels
a bit rushed.

Your window makes sense, and I respect your experience. I think we all
feel the tempo window that you're talking about at any given time. But
I just wonder if anyone had noticed the window itself shifting from
early to late. Something like quarter note = 115-125bpm feeling right
for 5 PM, but 110-120bpm feeling right for 8 AM
Just curiosity on my part.

And maybe the subjectiveness of music listening makes this whole point
moot. I listen to some of my old songs recorded years ago and they feel
like they're dragging a moose. I'm amazed that I chose such a tempo
back then. The me that I was must have felt like it worked. The me that
I am wants to kick the cassette player.

Jeff

straightnut wrote:

....snip..

Your window makes sense, and I respect your experience. I think we all
feel the tempo window that you're talking about at any given time. But
I just wonder if anyone had noticed the window itself shifting from
early to late. Something like quarter note = 115-125bpm feeling right
for 5 PM, but 110-120bpm feeling right for 8 AM
Just curiosity on my part.

And maybe the subjectiveness of music listening makes this whole point
moot. I listen to some of my old songs recorded years ago and they feel
like they're dragging a moose. I'm amazed that I chose such a tempo
back then. The me that I was must have felt like it worked. The me that
I am wants to kick the cassette player.

Jeff

Interesting thesis. You might want to pose the question in a group
like rec.music.compose or rec.music.theory for a different perspective.
I wonder if concert musicians ever have a feeling of fighting the metronome
depending on time of day, etc. ..or if the daylight savings time shift might
have some circadian impact...

Later...

Ron Capik
--

Ron Capik wrote:
straightnut wrote:

....snip..

Your window makes sense, and I respect your experience. I think we all
feel the tempo window that you're talking about at any given time. But
I just wonder if anyone had noticed the window itself shifting from
early to late. Something like quarter note = 115-125bpm feeling right
for 5 PM, but 110-120bpm feeling right for 8 AM
Just curiosity on my part.

And maybe the subjectiveness of music listening makes this whole point
moot. I listen to some of my old songs recorded years ago and they feel
like they're dragging a moose. I'm amazed that I chose such a tempo
back then. The me that I was must have felt like it worked. The me that
I am wants to kick the cassette player.

Jeff

Interesting thesis. You might want to pose the question in a group
like rec.music.compose or rec.music.theory for a different perspective.
I wonder if concert musicians ever have a feeling of fighting the metronome
depending on time of day, etc. ..or if the daylight savings time shift might
have some circadian impact...

Later...

Ron Capik
--

That's a good point about fighting the metronome. When we record
original works, we don't refer to the metronome except to perhaps label
the work with a tempo we've already discovered by feel. But practicing
a work whose tempo has already been established from prior recordings
by other artists/orchestras/bands or labeled as, say, quarter note
equals 120 might make this perception anomaly more obvious.
Jeff