Something simple and weird

[justaman]

There's probably a billion better examples of what I'm going to talk about than my one, but this just happened and I thought it was neat.

During a meeting (which was really fuckn interesting) I was tapping my fingers and found some funny patterns.

From left to right, number your fingers 1 2 3 4 5 (doesn't matter which hand).

Originally I was strumming this pattern

1 4 2 5 3

Then I did

5 3 1 4 2

When I did them back to back I found it much more difficult to do quick successive repetitions of the first, but much easier to do the second. The weird thing is that when you keep repeating those patterns, you find the order is actually identical!


14253 14253 14253

53142 53142 53142

It's probably because in the second you can more easily group "odds" and "evens" in the pattern, where as the first it's sort of all over the shop. I just think it's interesting that my brain was having different levels of efficiency in processing what is fundamentally the exact same pattern. Neurology is cool.

I'm not sure what there is to debate here, but I thought the whole experience was excellent :yup:

[livius drusus]

Primes. Primes are somehow at the root of all of this. :beady:

[Ymir's blood]

I'm simply weird. :yup:

[Godless Wonder]

Piano player?

[justaman]

Piano player?
Yes, if chopsticks count.

Just out of interest has anyone checked to see if they agree one's simpler than the other? I bet if I'd given a homework assignment about sex you'd all have finished it right away, wouldn't you? :glare:

[Godless Wonder]

Yeah, I tried it, and I agree, one way is harder than the other, even though they are the same.

Something similar on guitar I've noticed.


---------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------
-3-2-3-0-5-3-5-0-3-2-3-0-7-5-7-0-3-2-3-0-8-7-8-0-7-5-7-0-
---------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------


The above is all on one string, the right hand just does alternate picking, alternately striking the 3rd string up, then down, up, down, etc. while the left hand presses down the string on the indicated fret. Anyway, if I start the above with an upstroke, I can play it pretty damned fast. If I start on a downstroke, it turns into a train wreck.

In both cases my right hand is just hitting the same string in an alternating up/down/up/down pattern though. Not quite the same phenomenon, becaue obviously it's something to do with how my brain is coordinating my left and right hands. It is sort of weird though.

[Dragar]

I checked, and yeah, one is simpler. I think you're right, the brain has a better chance when a simple pattern is involved, which is easier to latch onto if the designated starting position makes it more obvious.