This phenomenological study investigates what it means for listeners to experience groove. A purposeful sample of 14 participants listened to stimuli featuring manipulations that have been identified in the groove literature and answered: “Does this groove? Why? Describe the groove.” Firstly, no single definition of what groove is, no one-to-one mappings of music detail (participatory discrepancy, tempo, or timbre) to experience of groove can be found within the results, nor is there any consensus as to whether a specific track “has groove” or not. Secondly, thematic analysis of statements shows five emergent themes: Pleasure, Movement/Energy, Tension/Relaxation, Expectation/Surprise, and Technical Language. Through discussion of examples, these categories are shown to be interconnected and may have some causal links. The aim of this study is to complement empirical groove research by emphasizing and advocating for the qualitative, phenomenological experience of listeners.
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