Larry
"Uncle Larry"
So I was practicing to the met. Mine bottoms out at 40 BPM. Wondering why they don't go down to 2 BPM, I decided to mathematically deduce what a corresponding higher tempo would be. One that I could set the met to. I started with 2 BPM because 1 x 1 = 1, dead end. You'll are with me right? My reasoning is that if I can't set the met to 2 BPM, then 64 BPM, the lowest factor of 2 that I could set my met to, would make the same feel, albeit at a faster tempo. I could play 2 BPM to 64 BPM. Just hit every 32 clicks. I believe this to be mathematically sound. Yea that's really slow to play, but just go with it. That's not the main point. I guess I should qualify this by saying that in my mind, each tempo has a corresponding feel to it. Fast or slow, there is a unique feel, particular to that tempo, and factors (not multiples) of that tempo.
Taking this one step further, I decided to calculate every BPM from 2 to 39, even the odd numbers, just to see what it would reveal. I took every single number from 2 to 39 and factored it until it registered over 40. Cutting to the chase, what I came up with is.......TADA! 19 basic tempos. There are only 19 tempos. Every other tempo is just a multiple of the 19. Almost. Close enough for all intents and purposes. When you get to 81 and 82 BPM, they don't halve perfectly with corresponding tempos, but in my mind it's splitting hairs. 81, or 82... feels close enough to 40, 83 feels close enough to 42, and so on.
Pretty cool yes? No?
What do you think? 19 basic tempos? Am I mental?
Taking this one step further, I decided to calculate every BPM from 2 to 39, even the odd numbers, just to see what it would reveal. I took every single number from 2 to 39 and factored it until it registered over 40. Cutting to the chase, what I came up with is.......TADA! 19 basic tempos. There are only 19 tempos. Every other tempo is just a multiple of the 19. Almost. Close enough for all intents and purposes. When you get to 81 and 82 BPM, they don't halve perfectly with corresponding tempos, but in my mind it's splitting hairs. 81, or 82... feels close enough to 40, 83 feels close enough to 42, and so on.
Pretty cool yes? No?
What do you think? 19 basic tempos? Am I mental?