It has
even been argued by Buecher and by Wundt[88] that human song had its chief
or exclusive origin in rhythmical vocal accompaniments to systematized
work. This view cannot, however, be maintained; systematized work can
scarcely be said to exist, even to-day, among most very primitive races;
it is much more probable that rhythmical song arose at a period antecedent
to the origin of systematized work, in the primitive military, religious,
and erotic dances, such as exist in a highly developed degree among the
Australians and other savage races who have not evolved co-ordinated
systematic labor. There can, however, be no doubt that as soon as
systematic work appears the importance of vocal rhythm in stimulating its
energy is at once everywhere recognized. Buecher has brought together
innumerable examples of this association, and in the march music of
soldiers and the heaving and hoisting songs of sailors we have instances
that have universally persisted into civilization, although in
civilization the rhythmical stimulation of work, physiologically sound as
is its basis, tends to die out. Even in the laboratory the influence of
simple rhythm in increasing the output of work may be demonstrated; and
Fere found with the ergograph that a rhythmical grouping of the movements
caused an increase of energy which often more than compensated the loss of
time caused by the rhythm.
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