Groove as a multidimensional participatory experience

Abstract

Groove is a popular and widely used concept in the field of music. Yet, its precise definition remains elusive. Upon closer inspection, groove appears to be used as an umbrella term with various connotations depending on the musical era, the musical context, and the individual using the term. Our aim in this article was to explore different definitions and connotations of the term groove so as to reach a more detailed understanding of it. Consequently, in an online survey, 88 participants provided free-text descriptions of the term groove. A thematic analysis revealed that groove is a multifaceted phenomenon, and participants’ descriptions fit into two main categories: music- and experience-related aspects. Based on this analysis, we propose a contemporary working definition of the term groove as used in the field of music psychology: “Groove is a participatory experience (related to immersion, movement, positive affect, and social connection) resulting from subtle interaction of specific music- (such as time- and pitch-related features), performance-, and/or individual-related factors.” Importantly, this proposed definition highlights the participatory aspect of the groove experience, which participants frequently mentioned, for example describing it as an urge to be “involved in” the music physically and/or psychologically. Furthermore, we propose that being immersed in music might be a prerequisite for other experiential qualities of groove, whereas the social aspect could be a secondary quality that comes into play as a consequence of musical activity. Overall, we anticipate that these findings will encourage a greater variety of research on this significant yet still not fully elucidated aspect of the musical experience.