Learning The Rhythms?

[Trusk'our he/him]

When Navani learned the Rhythms, what exactly let her do that? Was it that she was able to create the right Connection by training with Rabonial? Could a non-Rosharan learn the Rhythms?

[Quantus he/him]

You can learn the rhythms in a "normal" musical practice way, and that would let you speak with the correct tempo and sounds more native to a Singer.  But without the connection to the Spiritual Realm (that a Gemheart usually provides), you wouldnt be able to actually do it "in time" with the other singers and use it for time-keeping or tactical coordination as they do.  In other words you can learn to mimic them as a normal song, but you cant actually perceive the Rhythms themselves.
 

As far as I can tell, Navani was either just learning them in the mundane way, or else she was getting some early Surge/bleed-through effects from her developing Bond with the Sibling, similar to how Kaladin started using powers before Speaking the Words formally.  

[Dunkum he/him]

2 hours ago, Quantus said:

You can learn the rhythms in a "normal" musical practice way, and that would let you speak with the correct tempo and sounds more native to a Singer.  But without the connection to the Spiritual Realm (that a Gemheart usually provides), you wouldnt be able to actually do it "in time" with the other singers and use it for time-keeping or tactical coordination as they do.  In other words you can learn to mimic them as a normal song, but you cant actually perceive the Rhythms themselves.
 

As far as I can tell, Navani was either just learning them in the mundane way, or else she was getting some early Surge/bleed-through effects from her developing Bond with the Sibling, similar to how Kaladin started using powers before Speaking the Words formally.  

Been a little while, but I'm pretty sure Navani explicitly mentions studying music theory when they talk about the Rhythms.

[Little_Dagger she/her]

I think her knowledge of the Rhythms was mostly founded on math and music theory. However, she does press gemstone infused with Stormlight into her arm to help her hear the Honor's rhythm. So, technically, she could hear a Rhythm with the help of the infused gemstones vibrating against her skin.

Could a non-Rosharan do that? I think the question would be very relevant in the Cosmere future. Is anyone could manipulate light (i.e. moving it from gemstone to gemstone or creating it) like we see Raboniel and Navani do, the lights will be much easier to use and transport off-world.