# Anyone else feel a need/compulsion, present a musical beat, to be asynchronous to it? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 31, 2009, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-feel-a-need-compulsion-present-a-musical-beat-to-be-asynchronous-to-it/483894 "2009-01-31T19:22:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mops](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mops/32/16494_2.png) [@Mops](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mops)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2009, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-feel-a-need-compulsion-present-a-musical-beat-to-be-asynchronous-to-it/483894/1 "2009-01-31T19:22:03Z")
Something I notice e.g. walking by somewhere where a brass band is playing, or working out on an elliptical trainer in a venue where music is playing: I feel the need to make sure my stride is asynchronous with the music’s beat that I hear (because I’d consider being in step with it embarassing, for some reason). This takes up a lot of my attention, of course. Anyone else also feel compelled to do this? ---
**Author:** ![Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2009, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-feel-a-need-compulsion-present-a-musical-beat-to-be-asynchronous-to-it/483894/2 "2009-01-31T20:02:44Z")
Just the opposite. If there’s music playing, I have to keep in step with it, unless it’s just way too fast or way too slow. ---
**Author:** ![Euryphaessa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Euryphaessa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euryphaessa)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2009, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-feel-a-need-compulsion-present-a-musical-beat-to-be-asynchronous-to-it/483894/3 "2009-01-31T20:14:47Z")
I don’t like being in step with it either and I’ll go to great lengths to avoid it. It does take up a lot of attention! I just feel like an idiot if I walk to the beat, although I don’t, like, think less of people who do. Strange. ---
**Author:** ![Stealth\_Potato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Stealth\_Potato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stealth_Potato)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2009, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-feel-a-need-compulsion-present-a-musical-beat-to-be-asynchronous-to-it/483894/4 "2009-01-31T20:34:07Z")
> [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](#): > > Just the opposite. If there’s music playing, I have to keep in step with it, unless it’s just way too fast or way too slow. Heh, I just can’t help even adjusting my walking speed and stride length so that my footfalls match the beat. If it’s slower than my usual walking pace, I take longer strides. If it’s a lot faster, I’ll speed up to the level of a fast march, at least until the music ends or, if I’m wearing dress shoes, my feet start killing me. This occasionally becomes a problem since I have a lot of lively Soviet marching tunes on my iPod. 😛 If the rhythm isn’t consistent, I get confused and might need to sit down for a while. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2009, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-feel-a-need-compulsion-present-a-musical-beat-to-be-asynchronous-to-it/483894/5 "2009-01-31T21:33:53Z")
> [@Stealth\_Potato](#): > > Heh, I just can’t help even adjusting my walking speed and stride length so that my footfalls match the beat. If it’s slower than my usual walking pace, I take longer strides. If it’s a lot faster, I’ll speed up to the level of a fast march, at least until the music ends or, if I’m wearing dress shoes, my feet start killing me. This occasionally becomes a problem since I have a lot of lively Soviet marching tunes on my iPod. 😛 > > If the rhythm isn’t consistent, I get confused and might need to sit down for a while. Heh, same. Minus the dress shoes. And Soviet marching tunes. Except maybe Hell March. And the sitting. So, yeah, not the same at all. But same. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2009, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-feel-a-need-compulsion-present-a-musical-beat-to-be-asynchronous-to-it/483894/6 "2009-02-01T01:48:33Z")
I will go with the beat for a while, leading with the left foot. Then I’ll lead with the right for a while. Then I’ll be asynchronous for a while. I get bored easily. ---
**Author:** ![ToeJam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dfb087/32.png) [@ToeJam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ToeJam)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2009, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-feel-a-need-compulsion-present-a-musical-beat-to-be-asynchronous-to-it/483894/7 "2009-02-01T02:06:00Z")
If that ever happens, I just recall the end of the sequel to Saturday Night Fever ([Staying Alive](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abfkx7cYx9c&feature=related)directed by Sylvester Stallone), and that that’s exactly what I want to do. So I start walking to the beat and pretending I’m John Travolta. Though I have no rhythm, so I might end up strutting asynchronously for a while. But dammit, I’m Staying Alive! ---
**Author:** ![bink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/439d5e/32.png) [@bink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bink)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2009, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-feel-a-need-compulsion-present-a-musical-beat-to-be-asynchronous-to-it/483894/8 "2009-02-01T02:36:29Z")
I deliberately walk asynchronously. I also feel oddly embarrassed by walking to an obvious beat. I also feel like if you visibly enjoy music that’s being played by a busker, you are required to give them some money; these may come from the same place, feeling obligated somehow. ---
**Author:** ![wunderkammer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ed8c4c/32.png) [@wunderkammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wunderkammer)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2009, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-feel-a-need-compulsion-present-a-musical-beat-to-be-asynchronous-to-it/483894/9 "2009-02-01T03:18:12Z")
I tend to synchronize with the music unconsciously, and I don’t make an effort to stop. On the other hand, I can still remember when I first saw Star Wars on the big screen–I kept realizing that I was breathing in time with Darth Vader. Creepy. Needless to say, I had to force myself to breathe out of phase with him, but I think I missed a lot of the plot that way. ---
**Author:** ![superwombat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superwombat/32/16616_2.png) [@superwombat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/superwombat)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2009, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-feel-a-need-compulsion-present-a-musical-beat-to-be-asynchronous-to-it/483894/10 "2009-02-01T03:52:22Z")
My fiancee mentioned something about this phenomenon one night, in bed. She didn’t seem to mind, though. I like trance. ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2009, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-feel-a-need-compulsion-present-a-musical-beat-to-be-asynchronous-to-it/483894/11 "2009-02-01T06:53:54Z")
If I walk to the beat, then I might start nodding my head. Or twitching my shoulders. Or snapping my fingers. Best to concentrate on being asynchronous before I break into a full-scale Lindy hop or something. (Also, walking without rhythm won’t attract the worm.) ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2009, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-feel-a-need-compulsion-present-a-musical-beat-to-be-asynchronous-to-it/483894/12 "2009-02-01T07:00:29Z")
Not only do I walk to the beat, I do hand movements. And the occasional twirl. So what if I look like a dork? People who know me think it’s funny, and people who don’t don’t matter. ---
**Author:** ![Satellite\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Satellite\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Satellite_Guy)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2009, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-feel-a-need-compulsion-present-a-musical-beat-to-be-asynchronous-to-it/483894/13 "2009-02-01T23:15:38Z")
I used to be in Air Cadets, in the band, where one is required to march to the music. Once I left cadets, walking with the beat came naturally to me, much to my dismay (I came to hate cadets toward the end, which is why I quit.) As a result, if I notice myself going in sync with the music, I will make a concious effort to de-sync. S^G ---
**Author:** ![TJdude825](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@TJdude825](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TJdude825)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2009, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-feel-a-need-compulsion-present-a-musical-beat-to-be-asynchronous-to-it/483894/14 "2009-02-02T06:20:49Z")
Obligatory XKCD link: “[Keeping Time](http://xkcd.com/389/)”