Groove ─ A Phenomenology of Rhythmic Nuance

A groove is commonly understood as the feel of a rhythm. While this points in the right direction, it is notoriously vague. In this innovative work, Tiger C. Roholt demonstrates that a groove has three aspects: slight timing variations, perceptual structure, and bodily feeling.

Roholt argues that grooves are likely to arise in experience when listeners direct their attention to a rhythm's pulse, allowing the timing variations to recede into the perceptual background. He invokes Merleau-Ponty's notion of perceptual indeterminacy and illustrates how these feelings of tension transform into positive feelings once regularities and expectations take hold - such as a rhythm's being "in the pocket," "laid back," "buoyant," and so on. Finally, he claims that body movement to a pulse is not merely a reaction to a rhythm but that it aids the listener in establishing a perceptual structure conducive to experiencing a groove, while also intensifying the bodily feelings.

Written by an experienced drummer and philosopher, Groove is a vivid and exciting study of one of music's most central and relatively unexplored aspects.

Tiger C. Roholt is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Montclair State University, USA. He earned his PhD in Philosophy from Columbia University, and was a professional musician prior to embarking on his academic career.