Mari Romarheim Haugen

Ph.D. thesis:

Haugen, Mari Romarheim (2016). Music-Dance. Investigating Rhythm Structures in Brazilian Samba and Norwegian Telespringar Performance. (Ph.D. thesis) University of Oslo, Oslo. (PDF)

Articles and book chapters:

Haugen, Mari Romarheim (2024). Musical Meter as Shape: An Embodied Perspective on Metrical Trajectories and Curves. In: Jensenius, A.R. (eds) Sonic Design. SSD 2022. Current Research in Systematic Musicology, vol 12. Springer, Cham. 

Haugen, Mari Romarheim (2023). An embodied perspective on rhythm in music-dance genres. In Wöllner, Clemens & London, Justin (Ed.), Performing Time. Synchrony and Temporal Flow in Music and Dance. Oxford University Press. ISSN 9780192896254.

Mari Romarheim Haugen (2021). Investigating Music-Dance Relationships. A Case Study of Norwegian Telespringar.  Journal of Music Theory, 65(1), 17-38.

Mari Romarheim Haugen and Anne Danielsen (2020). Effect of tempo on relative note durations in a performed samba groove, Journal of New Music Research, (PDF)

Haugen, Mari Romarheim (2016). Investigating Periodic Body Motions as a Tacit Reference Structure in Norwegian Telespringar Performance. Empirical Musicology Review, 11(3–4), 272–294. (PDF)

Haugen, Mari Romarheim (2017). Investigating Musical Meter as Shape: Two Case Studies of Brazilian Samba and Norwegian Telelspringar. In Edith Van Dyck (ed.),  Proceedings of the 25th Anniversary Conference of the European Society for the Cognitive Sciences of Music. IPEM, University of Ghent, Belgium.  pp. 67–74. (PDF)

Haugen, Mari Romarheim and Godøy, Rolf Inge (2014). Rhythmical Structures in Music and Body Movement in Samba Performance, In Moo Kyoung Song (ed.),  Proceedings of the ICMPC-APSCOM 2014 Joint Conference. College of Music, Yonsei University.  pp. 46–52. (PDF)

• Mari Romarheim Haugen (2024). Musical Meter as Shape: An Embodied Perspective on Metrical Trajectories and Curves. In Alexander Refsum Jensenius (Eds.), Sonic Design: Explorations Between Art and Science. Springer Nature. ISSN 9783031578922. p. 37–48. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-57892-2_3. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The perception of musical rhythm includes not only the sonic rhythm but also the endogenous reference structures, such as meter. Musical meter is often described and understood as points in time or durations between such points. In this chapter, I argue that musical meter also has a shape. I propose that we perceive and make sense of musical meter based on our previous musical experiences involving meter-related bodily motion. In other words, the meter-related motion is integral to the perceived meter—they are the same. Meter thus has a shape that relates to the embodied sensations of these movements. Also crucial is the notion that musical meter is conditioned by musical culture. This perspective on meter as shape is highly influenced by Godøy’s motor-mimetic perspective on music perception and musical shape cognition and concurs with the multimodal approach to sonic design that acknowledges motion as intrinsic to music performance and perception.

• Anne Danielsen, Ragnhild Brøvig, Kjetil Klette Bøhler, Guilherme Schmidt Câmara, Mari Romarheim Haugen & Eirik Jacobsen [Show all 13 contributors for this article] (2024). There’s More to Timing than Time: Investigating Musical Microrhythm Across Disciplines and Cultures. Music Perception. ISSN 0730-7829. 41(3), p. 176–198. doi: 10.1525/mp.2024.41.3.176. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The TIME project: Timing and Sound in Musical Microrhythm (2017–2022) studied microrhythm; that is, how dynamic envelope, timbre, and center frequency, as well as the microtiming of a variety of sounds, affect their perceived rhythmic properties. The project involved theoretical work regarding the basic aspects of microrhythm; experimental studies of microrhythm perception, exploring both stimulus features and the participants’ enculturated expertise; observational studies of how musicians produce particular microrhythms; and ethnographic studies of musicians’ descriptions of microrhythm. Collectively, we show that: (a) altering the microstructure of a sound (“what” the sound is) changes its perceived temporal location (“when” it occurs), (b) there are systematic effects of core acoustic factors (duration, attack) on microrhythmic perception, (c) microrhythmic features in longer and more complex sounds can give rise to different perceptions of the same sound, and (d) musicians are highly aware of microrhythms and have developed vocabularies for describing them. In addition, our results shed light on conflicting results regarding the effect of microtiming on the “grooviness” of a rhythm. Our use of multiple, interdisciplinary methodologies enabled us to uncover the complexity of microrhythm perception and production in both laboratory and real-world musical contexts.

• Guilherme Schmidt Câmara, George Sioros, Kristian Nymoen, Mari Romarheim Haugen & Anne Danielsen (2023). Sound-producing actions in guitar performance of groove-based microrhythm. Empirical Musicology Review. 18(1), p. 21–36. doi: 10.18061/emr.v18i1.9124. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This paper reports on an experiment that investigated how guitarists signal the intended timing of a rhythmic event in a groove-based context via three different features related to sound-producing motions of impulsive chord strokes (striking velocity, movement duration and fretboard position). 21 expert electric guitarists were instructed to perform a simple rhythmic pattern in three different timing styles—“laidback,” “on-the-beat,” and “pushed”—in tandem with a metronome. Results revealed systematic differences across participants in the striking velocity and movement duration of chords in the different timing styles. In general, laid-back strokes were played with lower striking velocity and longer movement duration relative to on-the-beat and pushed strokes. No differences in the fretboard striking position were found (neither closer to the “bridge” [bottom] or to the “neck” [head]). Correlations with previously reported audio features of the guitar strokes were also investigated, where lower velocity and longer movement duration generally corresponded with longer acoustic attack duration (signal onset to offset).

• Mari Romarheim Haugen, Guilherme Schmidt Câmara, Kristian Nymoen & Anne Danielsen (2023). Instructed timing and body posture in guitar and bass playing in groove performance. Musicae Scientiae. ISSN 1029-8649. doi: 10.1177/10298649231182039. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Body movements play a crucial role in music performance and perception, and they do so well beyond those devoted to sound production itself. Various movements related to the performer’s emotional intentions or structural aspects of the music are also part of the performance and crucial to the listening experience. In the present study, we investigated the effect of instructed timing on such non-sound producing body movements, focusing on musicians’ body posture. We used an infrared motion-capture system to record the movements of skilled guitarists and bassists while they were playing electric guitar and electric bass, respectively. We instructed the musicians to perform under three different timing-style conditions: laid-back (behind), on-the-beat, and pushed (ahead). We also conducted short semistructured interviews to gain further insight into their movement strategies. The results show that performers generally leaned forward when instructed to play systematically slightly ahead of the pulse. We suggest that this change is related to an alteration in the performer’s experience of the feel of the music. The results support the view that musicians’ non-sound-producing body movements are not random, but integral to the performance, and that they are closely related to the music’s microrhythmic feel.

• Mari Romarheim Haugen (2023). An embodied perspective on rhythm in music-dance genres. In Clemens Wöllner & Justin London (Ed.), Performing Time. Synchrony and Temporal Flow in Music and Dance. Oxford University Press. ISSN 9780192896254. Full text in Research Archive
• Mari Romarheim Haugen (2021). Investigating Music-Dance Relationships. A Case Study of Norwegian Telespringar. Journal of music theory. ISSN 0022-2909. 65(1), p. 17–38. doi: 10.1215/00222909-9124714. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This article studies the rhythm of Norwegian telespringar, a tradition with an intimate relationship between music and dance that features a nonisochronous meter; that is, the durations between adjacent beats are unequal. A motion-capture study of a fiddler and dance couple revealed a long-medium-short duration pattern at the beat level in both the fiddler's and the dancers' periodic movements. The results also revealed a correspondence between how the fiddler and the dancers executed the motion patterns. This correspondence suggests that the performers share a common understanding of the underlying “feel” of the music. The results are discussed in light of recent theoretical perspectives on the multimodality of human perception. It is argued that the special feel of telespringar derives from embodied sensations related to the dance and how music and dance have developed in tandem over time. The study advocates a holistic view of music and dance, the importance of insider experience, and the role of embodied experience in guiding our understanding of the music as such.

• Mari Romarheim Haugen & Anne Danielsen (2020). Effect of tempo on relative note durations in a performed samba groove. Journal of New Music Research. ISSN 0929-8215. doi: 10.1080/09298215.2020.1767655. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Previous studies have revealed uneven duration patterns at the sixteenth note level of samba. In the present study, we investigated the influence of tempo on such sixteenth-note patterns in a performed samba groove.The results revealed an uneven duration pattern in all tempi. Interestingly, the shortest note becomes relatively shorter and the longest relatively longer as the tempo increases. We suggest that the differences in relative durations between tempi reflect the need to maintain the samba sixteenth note ‘template’ in all tempi: producing the samba ‘feel’ requires that relative durations have to be adjusted to tempo.

• Mari Romarheim Haugen (2017). Investigating Musical Meter as Shape: Two Case Studies of Brazilian Samba and Norwegian Telespringar. In Edith Van Dyck (Eds.), Proceedings of the 25th Anniversary Conference of the European Society for the Cognitive Sciences of Music. IPEM, University of Ghent, Belgium. p. 67–74. doi: 10.18061/emr.v11i3-4.5029. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The perception of musical meter is fundamental for rhythm production and perception in much music. Underlying structures such as pulse, meter, and metrical subdivisions are often described as successive points in time. This paper investigates whether experienced musical meter may not only include such points in time, but also trajectories between the points–that is, metrical shapes. Previous studies have pointed out that there seems to be a relationship between musical meter and periodic body motion like foot tapping, head nodding and dancing. This paper investigates musical meter in music styles with an intimate relationship with dance, and whether metrical points and trajectories can be understood by investigating performers’ periodic body motion. Two motion capture studies form the empirical basis of this paper; first, a percussionist and a dancer performing Brazilian samba; second, a fiddler and two dancers performing Norwegian telespringar. The analysis showed that it seemed to be a relationship between the periodic fluctuation in audio amplitude and the performers’ periodic foot motion on sixteenth note level in samba. Furthermore, motion analysis revealed similar periodic shapes in both percussionist and dancer foot motion. In telespringar there seemed to be a relationship between the metrical beat level and the fiddler’s foot stamping. In addition, the beat duration pattern, as indicated by the fiddler’s periodic foot stamping, seemed to correspond to the shape of the dancers’ vertical body motion. The results support the view that there is a close relationship between musical meter and performers’ periodic body motion. This suggest that the underlying meter may not only include metrical points in time, but that each metrical beat/subdivision duration has a corresponding metrical trajectory with a certain shape. If this is the case, then perceivers’ and performers’ implicit knowledge of the underlying reference structure in samba and telespringar might incorporate knowledge about the underlying metrical shape.

• Rolf Inge Godøy, Min-Ho Song, Kristian Nymoen, Mari Romarheim Haugen & Alexander Refsum Jensenius (2016). Exploring Sound-Motion Similarity in Musical Experience. Journal of New Music Research. ISSN 0929-8215. 45(3), p. 210–222. doi: 10.1080/09298215.2016.1184689. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  People tend to perceive many and also salient similarities between musical sound and body motion in musical experience, as can be seen in countless situations of music performance or listening to music, and as has been documented by a number of studies in the past couple of decades. The so-called motor theory of perception has claimed that these similarity relationships are deeply rooted in human cognitive faculties, and that people perceive and make sense of what they hear by mentally simulating the body motion thought to be involved in the making of sound. In this paper, we survey some basic theories of sound-motion similarity in music, and in particular the motor theory perspective. We also present findings regarding sound-motion similarity in musical performance, in dance, in so-called sound-tracing (the spontaneous body motions people produce in tandem with musical sound), and in sonification, all in view of providing a broad basis for understanding sound-motion similarity in music.

• Mari Romarheim Haugen & Kristian Nymoen (2016). Evaluating Input Devices for Dance Research. In Richard Kronland-Martinet, Mitsuko Aramaki & Sølvi Ystad (Ed.), Music, Mind, and Embodiment :11th International Symposium, CMMR 2015, Plymouth, UK, June 16-19, 2015, Revised Selected Papers. Springer. ISSN 9783319462813. p. 58–70. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-46282-0. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Recording music-related motions in ecologically valid situations can be challenging. We investigate the performance of three devices providing 3D acceleration data, namely Axivity AX3, iPhone 4s and a Wii controller tracking rhythmic motions. The devices are benchmarked against an infrared motion capture system, tested on both simple and complex music-related body motions, and evaluations are presented of the data quality and suitability for tracking music-related motions in real-world situations. The various systems represent different trade-offs with respect to data quality, user interface and physical attributes.

• Mari Romarheim Haugen (2016). Investigating Periodic Body Motions as a Tacit Reference Structure in Norwegian Telespringar Performance. Empirical Musicology Review. 11(3-4), p. 272–294. doi: 10.18061/emr.v11i3-4.5029. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The pulse level in music is often described as a series of isochronous beats that provides an underlying reference structure against which we perceive rhythmic patterns. This notion is challenged by music styles that seem to feature an underlying reference structure that consists of beats of uneven duration, such as certain traditional Scandinavian dance music genres in so-called asymmetrical meter. This study investigates periodic body motion as a reference structure in a specific style of traditional Norwegian dance music called telespringar. The intimate relationship between music and motion is often highlighted in rhythm studies of telespringar, so this study encompasses both sound and motion analyses. It is based on a motion capture study of three telespringar performers; one fiddler and two dancers. Motion analysis of the fiddler's foot stamping indicates a stable long–medium–short duration pattern at beat level. Motion analysis of the dancers' vertical motion of the hips revealed a periodic pattern in synchrony with the beat duration pattern determined by the fiddler's foot stamping. This result implies that the underlying rhythmic structures in telespringar depend upon a shared and embodied knowledge of the underlying asymmetrical reference structure that is implicit in the production and perception of telespringar.

• Anne Danielsen, Mari Romarheim Haugen & Alexander Refsum Jensenius (2015). Moving to the Beat: Studying Entrainment to Micro-Rhythmic Changes in Pulse by Motion Capture. Timing & Time Perception. ISSN 2213-445X. 3(1-2), p. 133–154. doi: 10.1163/22134468-00002043. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Pulse is a fundamental reference for the production and perception of rhythm. In this paper, we study entrainment to changes in the micro-rhythmic design of the basic pulse of the groove in ‘Left & Right’ by D’Angelo. In part 1 of the groove the beats have one specific position; in part 2, on the other hand, the different rhythmic layers specify two simultaneous but alternative beat positions that are approximately 50-80 ms apart. We first anticipate listeners’ perceptual response using the theories of entrainment and dynamic attending as points of departure. We then report on a motion capture experiment aimed at engaging listeners’ motion patterns in response to the two parts of the tune. The results show that when multiple onsets are introduced in part 2, the half note becomes a significant additional level of entrainment and the temporal locations of the perceived beats are drawn towards the added onsets. Pulse is a fundamental reference for the production and perception of rhythm. In this paper, we study entrainment to changes in the micro-rhythmic design of the basic pulse of the groove in ‘Left & Right’ by D’Angelo. In part 1 of the groove the beats have one specific position; in part 2, on the other hand, the different rhythmic layers specify two simultaneous but alternative beat positions that are approximately 50-80 ms apart. We first anticipate listeners’ perceptual response using the theories of entrainment and dynamic attending as points of departure. We then report on a motion capture experiment aimed at engaging listeners’ motion patterns in response to the two parts of the tune. The results show that when multiple onsets are introduced in part 2, the half note becomes a significant additional level of entrainment and the temporal locations of the perceived beats are drawn towards the added onsets.

• Mari Romarheim Haugen (2015). Asymmetrical meter in Scandinavian folk music and dance - A case study of Norwegian Telespringar, Proceedings of the Ninth Triennial Conference of the European Society for the Cognitive Sciences of Music (ESCOM). Royal Northern College of Music. p. 432–436. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Certain traditional Norwegian and Swedish dance tunes in triple meter are referred to as being in so-called asymmetrical meter—that is, the three beats in the measure are of uneven duration. Norwegian telespringar is recognized for a type of asymmetrical meter featuring a systematic long–medium–short duration pattern at beat level. These systematic microtiming patterns are often described in terms of deviations from an underlying isochronous pulse. However, it has been argued that performers’ body motion may offer a more perceptually relevant structure of reference than an abstract fixed clock pulse. This study investigates whether the asymmetrical beat patterns previously shown in telespringar music are also represented in the body motion of performers who are playing and dancing. It is reported from two motion capture studies: first, a fiddler playing telespringar on a traditional Hardanger fiddle; second, a couple dancing telespringar. Motion analysis of the fiddler’s foot stamping indicates a very regular long–medium–short beat pattern. In addition, the fiddler’s upper-body swaying and the vertical motion of the body’s center of gravity in telespringar dancing are in synchrony with the bar level of the music. The fiddler’s foot stamping confirm the long–medium–short beat duration hypothesis and support the view that the systematic microtiming features in telespringar are not a matter of deviation from an underlying isochronous pulse. Instead, they actually constitute an essential feature of telespringar.

• Kristian Nymoen, Mari Romarheim Haugen & Alexander Refsum Jensenius (2015). MuMYO – Evaluating and Exploring the MYO Armband for Musical Interaction. In Edgar Berdahl (Eds.), Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces For Musical Expression. Louisiana State University. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The MYO armband from Thalmic Labs is a complete and wireless motion and muscle sensing platform. This paper evaluates the armband’s sensors and its potential for NIME applications. This is followed by a presentation of the prototype instrument MuMYO. We conclude that, despite some shortcomings, the armband has potential of becoming a new “standard” controller in the NIME community.

• Mari Romarheim Haugen & Kristian Nymoen (2015). Evaluating Input Devices for Dance Research, Proceedings of the 11th International Symposium on Computer Music Multidisciplinary Research. The Interdisciplinary Centre for Computer Music Research. ISSN 9782909669243. p. 263–270. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-46282-0_4. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Recording music-related motions in ecological valid situa- tions can be challenging. We investigate the performance of three devices providing 3D acceleration data, namely Axivity AX3, iPhone 4s and a Wii controller tracking rhythmic motions. The devices are benchmarked against an infrared motion capture system. The devices tracked simple and complex rhythmic motions to pre-recorded music and were evalu- ated both based on the data quality and also in terms of how suitable the systems seem for tracking music-related motions in real-world situa- tions. The various systems represent different trade offs with respect to timing, accuracy and precision.

• Mari Romarheim Haugen & Rolf Inge Godøy (2014). Rhythmical Structures in Music and Body Movement in Samba Performance. In Moo Kyoung Song (Eds.), Proceedings of the ICMPC-APSCOM 2014 Joint Conference: 13th Biennial International Conference for Music Perception and Cognition and 5th Triennial Conference of the Asia Pacific Society for the Cognitive Sciences of Music. College of Music, Yonsei University. ISSN 9788989544531. p. 46–52. Full text in Research Archive
• Mari Romarheim Haugen (2014). Studying Rhythmical Structures in Norwegian Folk Music and Dance Using Motion Capture Technology: A Case Study of Norwegian Telespringar. Musikk og tradisjon. ISSN 1892-0772. p. 27–52. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Norwegian telespringar is often referred to as being in so-called asymmetrical triple meter—that is, the three beats in the measure are of uneven duration. Previous studies report that a systematic long–medium–short beat duration pattern seems to be a prominent feature of telespringar. This paper investigates how motion data can be incorporated into studies of rhythmical structures in Norwegian telespringar using motion capture technology. It is reported from two motion capture studies: first, a fiddler playing telespringar on a Hardanger fiddle; second, a couple dancing telespringar. Participants’ movements were recorded using an advanced optical infrared motion capture system. Motion analysis of the fiddler’s foot stamping confirms the long–medium–short beat-duration hypothesis. In addition, the fiddler’s upper-body movements seem to be in synchrony with the bar level of the music. Motion analysis of the up/down movement of the body’s center of gravity in telespringar dancing shows a consistent libration pattern. These results appear to suggest that prominent rhythmical features of telespringar are represented in both the fiddler’s and the dancers’ body motion. They also indicate that motion capture technology is an effective means of investigating music-related movements in telespringar. Tilgjengeliggjort med tillatelse fra Novus Forlag.

View all works in NVA

• Anne Danielsen, Ragnhild Brøvig, Guilherme Schmidt Câmara, Mari Romarheim Haugen, Mats Sigvard Johansson & Justin London (2023). There’s more to timing than time: Investigating sound–timing interaction across disciplines and cultures. Full text in Research Archive
• Guilherme Schmidt Câmara, Georgios Sioros, Anne Danielsen, Kristian Nymoen & Mari Romarheim Haugen (2023). Sound-producing actions in guitar performance of groove-based microrhythm. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This study reports on an experiment that investigated how guitarists signal the intended timing of a rhythmic event in a groove-based context via three different features related to sound-producing motions of impulsive chord strokes (striking velocity, movement duration and fretboard position). 21 expert electric guitarists were instructed to perform a simple rhythmic pattern in three different timing styles—“laidback,” “on-the-beat,” and “pushed”—in tandem with a metronome. Results revealed systematic differences across participants in the striking velocity and movement duration of chords in the different timing styles. In general, laid-back strokes were played with lower striking velocity and longer movement duration relative to on-the-beat and pushed strokes. No differences in the fretboard striking position were found (neither closer to the “bridge” [bottom] or to the “neck” [head]). Correlations with previously reported audio features of the guitar strokes were also investigated, where lower velocity and longer movement duration generally corresponded with longer acoustic attack duration (signal onset to offset).

• Anne Danielsen, Ragnhild Brøvig, Guilherme Schmidt Câmara, Mari Romarheim Haugen, Mats Sigvard Johansson & Justin London (2023). Microrhythm depends on sound qualities: Investigating sound–timing interaction across disciplines and cultures. Full text in Research Archive
• Mari Romarheim Haugen (2021). Investigating the Effect of Tempo on Non-Isochronous Subdivisions in Brazilian Samba. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Recent studies have revealed that systematic non-isochronous duration patterns on sixteenth note level in samba, seems to be a prominent feature of this style (e.g., Gerischer, 2006; Gouyon, 2007; Haugen and Godøy, 2014; Naveda, 2011). Present study investigates the effect of tempo on the duration pattern on sixteenth note level in a performed samba groove. Some previous studies conducted in other genres have found that uneven duration patterns seem to become more even as tempo increases. It has been suggested that this effect might be due to perceptual constraints producing a lower limit for duration (e.g., Friberg and Sundström, 1997) or a reduction of rhythmic categories when two initially uneven short notes become so similar in fast tempi that they merge into one single category (Clarke, 1985). Two samba performers from São Paulo in Brazil, a percussionist and a dancer, were recorded. The percussionist played a samba groove on a Brazilian hand drum called pandeiro and the dancer performed the dance in samba no pé style. The samba groove was performed at three different tempi: fast (133 bpm), preferred (100 bpm), and slow (69 bpm). The results are based on an analysis of the recorded sound. The temporal positions of the played sixteenth notes were detected using the MIRtoolbox (Lartillot and Toiviainen, 2007). The results show that all the sixteenth notes were significantly different in all tempi, suggesting a medium/long– short–medium/short–long duration pattern. We found that the second sixteenth note becomes relatively shorter and the fourth relatively longer as the tempo increases. This is in contrast with previous research, which suggest that non-isochronous duration patterns become more even as tempo increases. We suggest that the non-isochronous duration pattern must become more pronounced when tempo increases in order to maintain the specific ‘feel’ of the samba groove. This implies that the duration pattern have to be consistent at a categorical level across tempi: the groove pattern is a pattern of duration categories and does not rely on fixed percentages or ratios. Future work will include more recordings in order to be able to draw more general conclusions.

• Solveig Isis Sørbø & Mari Romarheim Haugen (2021). Om telespringar, samba, musikkforskning og låtskriving. [Radio]. Solveigs Speisa Musikk, RadiOrakel. Full text in Research Archive
• Mari Romarheim Haugen (2021). Asymmetrical Meter and Periodic Body Motion in Norwegian Telespringar Performance. Full text in Research Archive
• Mari Romarheim Haugen & Anne Danielsen (2021). Influence of tempo on non-isochronous note duration pattern in a performed samba groove. Full text in Research Archive
• Mari Romarheim Haugen & Synnøve Sudbø Kleppe (2020). Bortebuaren. [Journal]. Bø Blad. Full text in Research Archive
• Mari Romarheim Haugen (2020). "Brain in Research(ers)" Panel. Full text in Research Archive
• Mari Romarheim Haugen, Mats Sigvard Johansson & Olivier Lartillot (2019). Investigating rhythm production and perception in traditional scandinavian dance music in non-isochronous meter: A case study of norwegian telespringar. Full text in Research Archive
• Mari Romarheim Haugen & Ida Habbestad (2019). Å studere dei små detaljane. Kva kan teknologi for rørslesporing bidra med i skildring av folkedansen? [Journal]. Folkemusikk. Magasinet for folkemusikk og folkedans. Full text in Research Archive
• Mari Romarheim Haugen (2018). The Effect of Tempo on Non-Isochronous Subdivisions in Performed Samba Groove. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Several empirical studies have investigated the role of tempo on the characteristic non-isochronous long–short duration pattern on eight note level in jazz. Friberg and Sundström (1997) found an approximately linear decrease of swing ratio with increasing tempo and suggest a lower limit to the duration of the short second eight note around 100 ms. Honing and Haas (2008) found that the swing ratio is adapted to the overall tempo, but did not find that it scaled linearly with tempo. Non-isochronous subdivision patterns have also been found in samba groove (e.g., Gerischer, 2006; Haugen, 2016; Naveda, 2011)–that is, at the level of sixteenth notes. In samba groove the fourth sixteenth note seems to be longer in duration than the others. The aim of this study is to investigate the influence of tempo on the duration pattern on sixteenth note level in a performed samba groove. Two professional samba performers, a percussionist and a dancer, participated in the study. The analysis in present paper is based on the recorded sound. The percussionist played a samba groove at three different tempi: 133, 100, and 69 BPM. Since all the sixteenth notes are played in this recording, their temporal position could be detected using onset detection. Subsequently, the inter-onset-intervals (IOIs) between the sixteenth notes were calculated and converted into percent values according to their percentage of the beat. The analysis showed significant differences between all the sixteenth note durations in all three tempi–that is, a medium/long–short–medium/short–long duration pattern on sixteenth note level were found at all tempi. In addition, a significant interaction between sixteenth note type and tempo were found. The analysis showed that as the tempo increases the short second sixteenth note became shorter and the long fourth sixteenth note became longer. In the fastest tempo, the short second sixteenth note’s mean duration is only 68 ms, something that is much shorter than 100 ms that has previous been suggested to be the shortest interval that we can hear and perform. The results suggest that the non-isochronous duration pattern on sixteenth note level in samba becomes even more non-isochronous with increasing tempo. In addition, the results indicate that the lower limit for IOIs in samba groove is below 100 ms. REFERENCES: Friberg & Sundström. (1997). Preferred swing ratio in jazz as a function of tempo. Speech, Music, and Hearing: Quarterly Status and Progress Report (TMH-QSPR), 4, 19–27. Gerischer (2006). O suingue baiano: Rhythmic feeling and microrhythmic phenomena in Brazilian percussion. Ethnomusicology, 50(1), 99–119. Haugen (2016). Music–Dance. Investigating Rhythm Structures in Brazilian Samba and Norwegian Telespringar Performance. (Ph.D. Thesis), University of Oslo, Oslo. Honing & Haas (2008). Swing Once More: Relating Timing and Tempo in Expert Jazz Drumming. Music Perception: An Interdisciplinary Journal, 25(5), 471–476. doi:10.1525/mp.2008.25.5.471 Naveda (2011). Gesture in Samba: A cross-modal analysis of dance and music from the Afro-Brazilian culture. (Ph.D. thesis), Faculty of Arts and Philosophy, Ghent University, Belgium, Ghent, Belgium.

• Anne Danielsen, Mats Sigvard Johansson & Mari Romarheim Haugen (2018). Presentasjon av TIME-prosjektet. Full text in Research Archive
• Mari Romarheim Haugen (2018). Investigating Rhythm Structures in Music and Dance Using Motion Capture. Full text in Research Archive
• Mari Romarheim Haugen (2018). Meter i Skandinavisk folkemusikk. Full text in Research Archive
• Mari Romarheim Haugen (2017). Investigating Musical Meter as Shape: Two Case Studies of Brazilian Samba and Norwegian Telespringar. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The perception of musical meter is fundamental for rhythm production and perception in much music. Underlying structures such as pulse, meter, and metrical subdivisions are often described as successive mental beats. This paper investigates whether experienced musical meter may not only include such mental points in time, but also trajectories between the points–that is, metrical shapes. Previous studies have pointed out that there seems to be a relationship between musical meter and periodic body motions like foot tapping, head nodding and dancing. This paper investigates whether metrical shapes might also be present in performers’ periodic body motions. Two motion capture studies form the empirical basis of this paper; first, a percussionist and a dancer performing Brazilian samba; second, a fiddler and two dancers performing Norwegian telespringar. Motion analysis of the samba performers’ periodic body motion revealed similar periodic shapes in both percussionist and dancer foot motion on sixteenth note level. In telespringar there seemed to be a relationship between the beat durations indicated by the fiddler’s periodic foot stamping and the shape of the dancers’ vertical body motion. The results support the view that there is a close relationship between musical meter and performers’ periodic body motion. The analysis of the performers’ periodic body motions revealed periodic motion shapes on beat level in telespringar and on sixteenth note level in samba. This suggest that the underlying meter may not only include metrical points in time, but that each metrical beat/subdivision duration has a corresponding metrical trajectory with a certain shape. If this is the case, then perceivers’ and performers’ implicit knowledge of the underlying reference structure in samba and telespringar might incorporate knowledge about the underlying metrical shape.

• Mari Romarheim Haugen, Tora Berge Naterstad, Sjur Stølen & Adrian Nielsen (2017). Når nerdene blir voksne. [Journal]. Universitas. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Den akademiske friheten er grenseløs. Spiller du kortene dine rett kan du få bruke tre år til å til å søke svaret på gåtene fra ungdommen.

• Anne Danielsen, Kristian Nymoen, Mari Romarheim Haugen & Guilherme Schmidt Câmara (2017). Project presentation: Timing and Sound in Musical Microrhythm (TIME). Full text in Research Archive
• Rolf Inge Godøy, Min-Ho Song, Kristian Nymoen, Mari Romarheim Haugen & Alexander Refsum Jensenius (2016). ¿Por qué marcamos el ritmo de la música con los pies? [Internet]. BBC Mundo. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  ¿Alguna vez has estado en un bar o en un restaurante, sentado en la calle o en un salón cuando suena música y tú y otros empiezan a golpear el piso con el pie al ritmo de la música?

• Mari Romarheim Haugen (2016). Periodic Body Motions as Underlying Pulse in Norwegian Telespringar. Full text in Research Archive
• Mari Romarheim Haugen & Knut Heggenes (2015). Forsker på heftige rytmer. [Journal]. Varden. Full text in Research Archive
• Mari Romarheim Haugen (2015). Videoreportasje fra NM i stillstand: – Stillstand er en bevegelse. [Internet]. Universitas.no. Full text in Research Archive
• Alexander Refsum Jensenius, Kristian Nymoen, Mari Romarheim Haugen, Ida Andersen & Henrik Evertsson (2015). Ubevegelig norgesrekord. [Journal]. Universitas. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Torsdag 12. mars var det duket for historiens andre norgesmesterskap i stillstand.

• Mari Romarheim Haugen & Kristian Nymoen (2015). Evaluating Input Devices for Dance Research. Full text in Research Archive
• Kristian Nymoen, Mari Romarheim Haugen & Alexander Refsum Jensenius (2015). MuMYO – Evaluating and Exploring the MYO Armband for Musical Interaction. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The MYO armband from Thalmic Labs is a complete and wireless motion and muscle sensing platform. This paper evaluates the armband’s sensors and its potential for NIME applications. This is followed by a presentation of the prototype instrument MuMYO. We conclude that, despite some shortcomings, the armband has potential of becoming a new “standard” controller in the NIME community.

• Mari Romarheim Haugen (2015). Investigating Systematic Microtiming in Music and Body Motion in Samba Performance. Full text in Research Archive
• Alexander Refsum Jensenius, Kristian Nymoen, Anders Tveit, Mari Romarheim Haugen, Ragnhild Torvanger Solberg & Håkon Bachken Eikeland [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2015). OMO på Komdagen. Full text in Research Archive
• Mari Romarheim Haugen (2015). Asymmetrical meter in Scandinavian folk music and dance: A case study of Norwegian Telespringar. Full text in Research Archive
• Mari Romarheim Haugen (2014). Rhythmical Structures in Music and Body Motion in Afro-Brazilian Samba and Norwegian Telespringar. Full text in Research Archive
• Mari Romarheim Haugen (2014). Motion Capture. Bruk av bevegelsessporingssystemer i studier av norsk folkemusikk og -dans. Full text in Research Archive
• Mari Romarheim Haugen (2014). Musikk og Bevegelse. Full text in Research Archive
• Hallgjerd Aksnes, Mari Romarheim Haugen & Per Kristian Bjørkeng (2011). Kropp og sinn i ett og alt. [Journal]. Aftenposten. Full text in Research Archive
• Mari Romarheim Haugen (2016). Music-Dance. Investigating Rhythm Structures in Brazilian Samba and Norwegian Telespringar Performance. Universitetet i Oslo. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This thesis investigates the interaction between perceived rhythm and underlying reference structures in the experience of rhythm in music. The point of departure is that both music performers’ and perceivers’ body motions are relevant to the study of rhythm. Accordingly, in music genres with an intimate relationship to dance, here referred to as music–dance, rhythm needs to be understood in relation to the corresponding dance. The studies included in this thesis investigate rhythm patterns in sound and body motion in two music–dance styles, Brazilian samba and Norwegian telespringar, based on motion capture and sound recordings of professional musicians and dancers. Both samba and telespringar consist of complex rhythm patterns. Samba is often characterized by so-called systematic microtiming at the sixteenth-note level. This was confirmed in our sound analysis of the samba groove, showing a medium–medium–medium–long duration pattern at the sixteenth-note level. In addition, motion analysis of the percussionist’s heel tapping and the dancer’s steps revealed motion patterns in synchrony with this rhythm pattern. Telespringar, on the other hand, is often described as featuring a so-called asymmetrical triple meter—that is, the three beats in a measure are of uneven duration. According to previous studies, both the fiddler’s foot stamping and the dancers’ vertical body motions are related to this underlying meter. This relation was confirmed in the motion analysis of a fiddler’s foot stamping, which revealed a very stable long–medium–short duration pattern at the beat level. The dancers’ vertical motion patterns, however, deviated from theories suggesting that the turning points in the dancers’ vertical motion curves correspond to the meter. The thesis therefore suggests an alternative interpretation with regard to the dancers’ vertical motion curves—that it is the shape of the dancers’ vertical motion that corresponds to the underlying beat duration, rather than the turning points that correspond to the underlying beat positions. The main conclusion is that the underlying sixteenth-note level in samba and the underlying beat level in telespringar should not be understood as deviations from an isochronous pulse of some sort. Instead, they should be understood as inherently (and necessarily) non-isochronous, in and of themselves.

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