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I don’t understand why 1&3 is frustrating? Seems like the natural way to clap/tap/bob to that particular beat.

I don't understand it either.

Here's an earlier submission that explains it a bit: Friends don't let friends clap on 1 and 3.

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8538623

Fascinating! Never really thought about this before, thanks for the link.

(Come to think of it, this seems very song-dependent. For instance, I definitely find myself clapping on 2&4 to "Thriller" and "I Heard It Through The Grapevine". But I think I'd still clap 1&3 to some of my favorite classic rock and metal songs. Also, I felt 1&4 pretty strongly in that Harry Connick Jr. clip. Maybe they're just clapping too fast: if they were only doing half the claps, I think 2&4 would feel more natural.)

Fascinating to me that you picked Thriller as an example, as MJ even demonstrates a 2&4 clap during the song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOnqjkJTMaA&t=5m0s

Curious what you mean by half the claps? Would this involve clapping only on every fourth beat, only on every second beat, or am I completely misunderstanding?

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