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Isochrony, vocal learning, and the acquisition of rhythm and melody

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 September 2021

Andrea Ravignani Open the ORCID record for Andrea Ravignani [Opens in a new window]
Andrea Ravignani*
Affiliation:
Comparative Bioacoustics Group, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, 6525 XD, The Netherlands. andrea.ravignani@mpi.nl; https://www.mpi.nl/people/ravignani-andrea
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Abstract

A cross-species perspective can extend and provide testable predictions for Savage et al.'s framework. Rhythm and melody, I argue, could bootstrap each other in the evolution of musicality. Isochrony may function as a temporal grid to support rehearsing and learning modulated, pitched vocalizations. Once this melodic plasticity is acquired, focus can shift back to refining rhythm processing and beat induction.

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Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 44 , 2021 , e88
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Copyright © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press

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