A note on time-frequency analysis of finger tapping
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Updated: Aug 13, 2026

Uncovering Beat Deafness: Detecting Rhythm Disorders with Synchronized Finger Tapping and Perceptual Timing Tasks
Published on: March 16, 2015
Wei Liu1, Larry Forrester, Jill Whitall
1Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, 100 Penn Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA. wliu@som.umaryland.edu
Abstract:
Finger tapping involves 3 important features: time, spatial amplitude, and frequency. In classical analysis, investigators examine timing parameters; in spectral analysis, they examine frequency parameters. Both types of analysis are based on stationary tap information. The authors propose that time-frequency analysis is a useful tool for analyzing nonstationary finger tapping. They describe the method and give examples of frequency modulation, age difference, and speed transition that demonstrate additional insights one can gain by using this analysis.
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