Harmonic Relationship between Preferred Tempi and Heart Rate

Abstract

Since people tend to prefer musical tempi ranging from 70 to 100 beats per minute, cyclic physiological response like heart rate is considered one of the factors affected by tempo preference. The present study aimed to examine the relationship between preferred tempi and heart rate. Subjects were instructed to find their favorite tempi while their heart rates were being measured. The presented tone stimulus was 440 Hz, 60 dB pressure of pure tone, and the presented tempo varied from 10 to 300 cycles per minute. The relationship between heart rate and preferred tempo was examined to calculate the density function of ratios of preferred tempi to heart rate. This density function indicated that preferred tempi were distributed mostly one, one and a half, and two times as fast as heart rate. This finding indicated preferred tempi had a simple harmonic relationship to heart rate.