Subjective duration, not physical duration, governs rhythm perception in music

Evidence

Using the model, we can plot the excitation level versus time course, look for the length of the double arrows plotted 10 dB above the minima and see that the length of the first four double arrows is equal, and that the lengths of the fifth and sixth double arrows are equal to one another but about twice as long as the previous four. This means that bursts and pauses are perceived as being equally long, as required by the musical notation (a). This illustrates clearly that subjective duration plays an important role for rhythm and that musicians produce what is intended musically, although the notations for durations shorter than 1 s are physically wrong. — Professor Dr.-Ing. Hugo Fastl, Professor Dr.-Ing. Eberhard, Psychoacoustics- Facts and Models, 1494

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to prior chapter material on subjective duration and the excitation-level model of hearing sensations. — connects to: Perceived musical qualities like ascending notes reside in experience, not sound waves — Sarah Bakewell, At the Existentialist Café: Freedom,…, 144; Musical experience resists reduction to mere physical vibrations — Sarah Bakewell, At the Existentialist Café: Freedom,…, 144; Extremely fast music can flip racing time into a congealed stillness — Hartmut Rosa, Social Acceleration: A New Theory of…, 165
• QUESTION: What exactly does ‘10 dB above the surrounding minima’ correspond to perceptually — is there a threshold rationale for equating lengths this way?