This BPM is trash, and here's why

Summary by Krater

This video essay explores why metronome markings and sheet music use decimal points and precise numbers in tempos, examining human beat perception, the Just Noticeable Difference, and musical notation.

From the video

Answers: Why do some metronome markings and sheet music transcriptions use decimal points for tempos?

• metronome markings
• tempo perception
• Just Noticeable Difference
• sheet music transcription
• polyrhythms

What it concludes

• Participants can reliably detect timing discrepancies of 100 milliseconds.
• The Just Noticeable Difference for beat detection is approximately 30 milliseconds, or about 3 to 8% change in tempo.
• Standard metronome markings reflect the finest gradation of tempo that humans can reliably detect.
• Decimal points in tempos represent a focus on precision and correctness rather than musicality.
• Sheet music serves as a recipe of instructions for performers rather than an exact description of sound.