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Consider, Sledge, that price is continuous, as is volume (that is, trading activity). Therefore, there is no "close", at least until everybody goes home and turns out the lights. What we perceive as a close is merely a function of whatever bar interval (time, range, constant volume, etc) we choose to display the movement of price and is entirely irrelevant to that flow. What matters more are the ebb and flow and their character: pace, extent, range, etc.
To better see this ebb and flow, you may want to use an even smaller interval. A tick chart may look like flies circling over poop, but something like a 5-second chart will enable you to see this ebb and flow without being distracted by the OHLC. Once you become attuned to this, you'll detect the flow even in an hourly or daily or weekly chart.
Some will object, of course, that whatever goes on in these teeny tiny timeframes is "noise" and is irrelevant to the larger, more "important" moves, but this is akin to saying that ocean currents are noise and irrelevant to the larger, more important moves. It all starts somewhere, and the trader who is attuned to these seemingly insignificant changes in price movement is going to be virtually shockproof when price suddenly starts hellbent in some new direction.
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I absolute agree with each and every word in this post.
Time periods (with the exception of the open to close of a trading day) are completely arbitrary. Imagine the time on your computer being off by just a second or your data feed lagging by a second, all of your chart patterns and indicators might give you completely different values even though the actual trading that took place has not changed at all.
I've also found that there is no noise in the market. I could even say that longer term price movements are more random than short term price changes since long term price movements are just a function of all this 'noise' in the short-term. Each trade is significant and can change all trades following it (like the bufferfly effect). Imagine one contract changing the best/bid ask price because there is only 1 contract left in the limit order book on one side. This price change could trigger buy/selling by other traders which could trigger even more orders. All of the sudden, the market is going down/up hard while you're still waiting for your bar to close.