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Newborns pick up the beat

Days after birth, babies display neural signs of detecting a rhythmic beat, a capacity that may be critical for learning music

By Bruce Bower

- More than 2 years ago

Sonny and Cher once crooned that the beat goes on, but little did they know that the beat starts up within days of birth. A new study indicates that the brains of 2- to 3-day-old babies recognize when a rhythmic drum sequence lacks its initial beat, or downbeat.