Humans and Music

[MixMasterLar]

Re: Humans and Music

Even fans of screamo can enjoy something that has repitition, almost everyone can enjoy chill/techno/trance--even if it isnt their choice. screamo is a taste more learned, while some other styles are enjoyed from get go.

well, I agree with Dev, really

[devonin]

Re: Humans and Music

But I recently started listeing to scremo bands like All That Remains and Poison the Well. They have little to no repitition and I dont know what their talking about, but I love it.

If the screamo that has made its way onto FFR is any indication of the genre, there's a lot more pattern repetition in there than perhaps you realise.

But harder to discern patterns aside, it isn't just "easy patterns" that we are drawn to. Easy patterns are what make songs that get stuck in your head, but consider a band like Tool. They go out of their way in many cases to not repeat patterns, and yet are incredibly popular. The -desire- to search out patterns in stimuli is just as much a drive as finding the patterns are. And dissonant, or frequently changing patterns are just as stimulating if not more so, as our pattern seeking brain tries to keep up.

[commander_toast]

Re: Humans and Music

Music to me helps people concentrate. Many people like different types to help set there mood. But it also says that metal I guess makes people go crazy lol.

[Verruckter]

Re: Humans and Music

Music is created by building up tension and then breaking it down using various pitches. Your ear recognises those pitches in a particular pattern (4:4 being the most common) and the rest, well, it's chemical.

Catchy music is just a certain form you're used to. Catchy music for an occidental will not be quite the same as catchy music for an oriental because of cultural differences. In the same sense, music that isn't catchy is something that you're not used to. It doesn't mean it's not as good, it just means your brain doesn't quite know how to interpret it at first, but once it gets used to it, it can recognize certain organised sounds.

This is a very interesting question that I have been wondering for a long time now. Nearly all humans like some form of music, but why? Music is usless from an evolutionary standpoint. We like certain foods because they have important nutrients, certain types of people because of they way our brains preceive reproductive capabilities, even video games give us a sense of accomplishment that we desire because of things that are hardwired into our genetics. But music seems...pointless.

Music... pointless? Have you been outside in the last few days? Have you ever heard birds sing? They don't do it in vain. They use it to seduce (amongst other things maybe, I don't know). It has a role. Maybe to a dog, the bark of a fellow canine has the same effect that music has on us, or something similar. It can remind them of a certain feeling, wether it's inscribed in their genes or not.

2. But associating music language is even trickier. Sure, they are both a series of sounds that form patterns. But you don't enjoy hearing the same sentence over and over the way you hear the same rythum over and over in music.

Actually, it might not be that tricky. Remember, I talked about building and breaking tension? Well, while observing people around me talk, I've noticed that a lot of people use "like", "you know" and "right" as what I call "tension breakers". It fills the end or beginning of a sentence, thus breaking all tension and making the sentence sound much more natural and pleasent (this last word is important), This is something that, I beleive, is closely associated with music. The need to have no tension remaining is pleasing, it sounds good.

[lord_carbo]

Re: Humans and Music

If the screamo that has made its way onto FFR is any indication of the genre, there's a lot more pattern repetition in there than perhaps you realise.

I listen to Poison the Well and I can tell you that there's quite a bit of repetition. Not like trance, but like your typical rock band. Maaaaaybe a bit less, Parks and What You Meant To Me coming to mind.

It's not like we're looking for exact repetition anyway. I've listened to lots of songs, mostly 19th century, which just "flow along." No chorus, no general theme. Maybe it's not all patterns, but one's ease to go along with the song as they listen, if you know what I mean. We're learning cadences in music theory right now, and one trick is to make it seem like a song is going to end but kinda **** with the listener and not end it. Probably relevant.

[Verruckter]

Re: Humans and Music

I listen to Poison the Well and I can tell you that there's quite a bit of repetition. Not like trance, but like your typical rock band. Maaaaaybe a bit less, Parks and What You Meant To Me coming to mind.

It's not like we're looking for exact repetition anyway. I've listened to lots of songs, mostly 19th century, which just "flow along." No chorus, no general theme. Maybe it's not all patterns, but one's ease to go along with the song as they listen, if you know what I mean. We're learning cadences in music theory right now, and one trick is to make it seem like a song is going to end but kinda **** with the listener and not end it. Probably relevant.

It's not so much that we're looking for repetition, it's just that repetition leaves no tension (see my other post) thus feels better, more natural.

[lord_carbo]

Re: Humans and Music

It's not so much that we're looking for repetition, it's just that repetition leaves no tension (see my other post) thus feels better, more natural.

Repetition can leave tension as much as it resolves it (Beethoven's Symphony No. 5). Again, cadences. They resolve phrases and periods and entire pieces; those are what mainly get rid of the tension, if there is any.

Music doesn't need repetition to be good or to be easily recognizable or whatever you were talking about, it's just a very, very useful tool. It creates a "theme" in a piece and it creates a mood, and how that theme is carried out (change modes, do a little call and response, change the tempo, throw things in between, stuff like that) helps develop the emotion. There's an endless selection of music in which I could recommend for good examples.

It's very possible to create a piece that moves (tension is the feeling of "dissonance," and dissonance creates "movement" in a piece) through classical progressive harmony and sparsely if ever "repeats," although classical harmony somewhat encourages repetition in certain ways (tonality).

[Verruckter]

Re: Humans and Music

Repetition can leave tension as much as it resolves it (Beethoven's Symphony No. 5). Again, cadences. They resolve phrases and periods and entire pieces; those are what mainly get rid of the tension, if there is any.

Music doesn't need repetition to be good or to be easily recognizable or whatever you were talking about, it's just a very, very useful tool. It creates a "theme" in a piece and it creates a mood, and how that theme is carried out (change modes, do a little call and response, change the tempo, throw things in between, stuff like that) helps develop the emotion. There's an endless selection of music in which I could recommend for good examples.

It's very possible to create a piece that moves (tension is the feeling of "dissonance," and dissonance creates "movement" in a piece) through classical progressive harmony and sparsely if ever "repeats," although classical harmony somewhat encourages repetition in certain ways (tonality).

Well, usually a certain riff is repeated an even number of times. 2 and 4 is the usual. Unless the riff is in an odd time signature, 3 or 5 repetitions will sound much weirder and will leave a feeling of emptyness.

[lord_carbo]

Re: Humans and Music

Well, usually a certain riff is repeated an even number of times. 2 and 4 is the usual. Unless the riff is in an odd time signature, 3 or 5 repetitions will sound much weirder and will leave a feeling of emptyness.

I was referring to piano, orchestral and vocal harmony actually :/ I've never composed anything pop/punk-esque nor do I plan to. But there are times for that kind of stuff. You could have "passing chords" for smooth voice leading. Or if the harmony follows a pattern like 3 quarter notes, 3 quarter notes, 2 quarter notes, 3 repetitions works.

[Verruckter]

Re: Humans and Music

I was referring to piano, orchestral and vocal harmony actually :/ I've never composed anything pop/punk-esque nor do I plan to. But there are times for that kind of stuff. You could have "passing chords" for smooth voice leading. Or if the harmony follows a pattern like 3 quarter notes, 3 quarter notes, 2 quarter notes, 3 repetitions works.

Sorry, the word "riff" is misleading. I guess I meant theme, or something alike.

[lord_carbo]

Re: Humans and Music

Oh, I see.

Well there's a lot you can do with a riff than just repeat it verbatim sequentially. You can make it modal, modulate it, play it louder or softer, change a few pitches, put "random" stuff between it... these all create different feelings and is common in tonal harmony. It's repetition, yet it somewhat isn't. Again, any sort of "riff" isn't needed to make good accessible music, but it REALLY helps.

[Verruckter]

Re: Humans and Music

Oh, I see.

Well there's a lot you can do with a riff than just repeat it verbatim sequentially. You can make it modal, modulate it, play it louder or softer, change a few pitches, put "random" stuff between it... these all create different feelings and is common in tonal harmony. It's repetition, yet it somewhat isn't. Again, any sort of "riff" isn't needed to make good accessible music, but it REALLY helps.

Yes, but I was talking about repetition in it's most simple form.

[Genocide101]

Re: Humans and Music

i tend to enjoy music with variations of videos that sync up, but beyond that i have no clue it's just stimulating i guess instead of silence in the car music keeps you busy keeps you happy don't ask why it works, it just works

[EndlesslyMarcus]

Re: Humans and Music

Music to me, is the only thing that makes me truly happy. Life problems you have to work with, and they only make you happy for so long, but a good song will always be the same. A good song will never go away.

[Verruckter]

Re: Humans and Music

This is becoming more and more chit chat.