Why is music enjoyable?

We all like music in one form or another, but why?

I am trying to understand why music is pleasing to listen to, especially when it is in a rhythm and repeats certain parts. Does anybody know? From a psychological or evolutionary point of view why sounds formed into harmonic structures create enjoyment for us? If it is something to do with evolution or survival then how come everybody has such different taste in music?

Music is purely mathematical, as is everything surrounding us in nature and within ourselves. Some things we just don't understand the formula to. As a lifelong musician (started my first lessons at four), I know that playing music and listening to music allows a certain release that no drug, love, or sex can bring about. It helps us solve problems, heal, vent; it can mirror any and all emotions with perfection. Music moves us so much because there is music inside us and in the world around us, even if we don't hear it. It is there because music and mathematics are the same. (in my opinion)

But we created music, music didn't exist when we were first brought into existence.
Is it because naturally humans like to feel in control? The beats and patterns in music are predictable, is that why we like it?

How does anyone know whether music was created by humans or existed before us? Just because we have labeled music and harnessed some of its properties doesn't mean we created it. I do think there is an internal desire for some type of repetition - our heart beats to keep us alive, our feet beat the ground as we walk, our fingers beat the keyboard as we type. I think that music was here before we were.

Originally posted by MotherofBlessings
I know that playing music and listening to music allows a certain release that no drug, love, or sex can bring about. It helps us solve problems, heal, vent; it can mirror any and all emotions with perfection.

Wow what a great reply. True that.

I know that when I hear DeBussy's "Clair de Lune" (Moonlight) I always cry at the same point and there are no words. I don't know why.

I do know that I associate certain songs with certain events in my life.

I hate that Music videos force us to accept one person's interpretation of a song.


[edit on 5-3-2010 by kinda kurious]

reply to post by Nventual


Not being an expert on anything, I can only give my humble opinion. Everthing being created of vibration and light, the colors and vibrations in music stimulate certain vibrations and colors within each of us. This would effect our auras, our spirits aka souls, with certain musical frequencys. The is a woman composer named Constance Demby who hears music within her self that there are no known insterments to play it. Therefor she herself has to invent the insterment to compose and play the music. The recording of Novis Magnificat required her to do just that. I myself was born with the ability to see the colors of music but as I formed thought, I realized that not all humans see music. Peace.

Why is music enjoyable?


what an interesting question.
it is strange that music affects us in many different ways.
some music can make us do physical things, feel energetic and want to dance, another type of music can have the effect of soothing us into a relaxed state.
It can have non-phydical effects on us too, like invoke past memories and make us remember happy or sad times in our lives. And when we think about these happy and sad times we also re-experience the strong emotional feelings while remembering.
It's as if music serves as 'event markers' during our lives.
I only have to hear certain tunes and in my mind i'm instantly whooshed back in time, mentally reliving my memories.
Music isnt just good to listen to (unless it's my son's awful crash-bang-wallop "music" ) we respond to it mentally, physically and emotionally.
Music has all these effects on us, i dont know why though.

Reply to post by Nventual

music didn't exist before us.....? what if we are music ourselves- vibrations and rhythms.....the planets too- the 'music of the spheres'......
to me, music is closer to the truth than english or any other language. the truth of existence, imm talking about.
like a tibetan sand painting, each song creates its own universe but goes back into nothingness when done........like each of us.
to say music (and everything) is matb doesn't do justice to music. numbers are great but music is more than even the complete synthesis of mathematics.
also- if the beat is fast our heart picks up its pace to match it, brining with it a feeling of excitement or stimulation.


Posted Via ATS Mobile: m.abovetopsecret.com

Originally posted by MotherofBlessings
How does anyone know whether music was created by humans or existed before us? Just because we have labeled music and harnessed some of its properties doesn't mean we created it. I do think there is an internal desire for some type of repetition - our heart beats to keep us alive, our feet beat the ground as we walk, our fingers beat the keyboard as we type. I think that music was here before we were.

Hi M.o.B/


Nice post....And correct you are!
To quote you ''I do think there is an internal desire for some type of repetition - our heart beats to keep us alive, our feet beat the ground as we walk, our fingers beat the keyboard as we type. I think that music was here before we were.''!
Music, they say, Is ''Food for the Soul''
But, it also depends on what music or lyrics we feed our Soul!
I have given you some information by third century Father of the church S.John Chrysostom,
literally translates to...''GOLDENMOUTH''

St. John Chrysostom writes:
"Above,
the hosts of angels sing praise; below men form choirs in the churches and imitate them by singing the same doxology.
Above,
the seraphim cry out in the thrice-holy hymn; below, the human throng sends up the same cry.
The inhabitants of heaven and earth are brought together in a common assembly; there is one thanksgiving, one shout of delight, one joyful chorus." [1]
Byzantine mystical thought developed the idea of the angelic transmission of the chant itself.
In the sixth century Pseudo-Dionysios articulated the concept of the divinely inspired "prototype"; the idea of an "intuitive divine inspiration ... in which the hymns and chants are echoes of the heavenly song of angels, which the prophets gave to the people through a sense of spiritual hearing."
[2] These divinely inspired hymns and chants, which were viewed as models of the heavenly songs, serve as the foundation for all creativity. God and beauty are interrelated, and in the words of Pseudo-Dionysious:
"Divine beauty is transmitted to all that exists, and it is the cause of harmony and splendor in all that exists; like light,
it emits its penetrating rays onto all objects,
and it is as if it called to it everything that exists and assembles everything within it." [3]
Read more

Another interesting thing is that Lucifer was in charge of music....

Ezek 28:13-15
13 Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.
14 Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.
15 Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.
KJV

InXC,
Seraphim
LINK for QUOTE taken

Hope that has been of some help or added further to your knowledge!

ICXC NIKA
helen

music is enjoyable because it allows you to sense how you can be you in all, self expression alone is wrong it must be through reality concept that brought it to exist free
but also objective intelligence realisations itself whole one perspective is wrong too,

that is why lyrics are sensed necessary to get the right awareness of joy

truth of objective reality is the positive existence realities livings as an abstraction of that objective reality sense, which allow any awareness to sense itself right reality life of its positive sense drives that it is aware as existing about

Originally posted by Nventual
We all like music in one form or another, but why?

I am trying to understand why music is pleasing to listen to, especially when it is in a rhythm and repeats certain parts. Does anybody know? From a psychological or evolutionary point of view why sounds formed into harmonic structures create enjoyment for us? If it is something to do with evolution or survival then how come everybody has such different taste in music?

It is because human is a soul inside a physical body..

..this is why so called soulful music allways raises good vibes inside you.

reply to post by MotherofBlessings


Being a musician, I feel that music existed before people. animals exhibit musical talents, birds for example play wonderful melodies without knowing a lick of music. music touches the deepest levels of the subconscious. songs can drive emotions, without lyrics just vibrations. sometimes playing guitar for me is like meditation. I black out and just play for hours, and emotions come to the surface.

Music lovers 'have fish to thank'

Fish Fish spawned love of loud music


Fans of loud rock music could owe their love of noise to fish, scientists say.

Researchers at Manchester University say rockers may be responding to a pleasure-inducing hearing mechanism passed down through millions of years of evolution from fish to humans.

news.bbc.co.uk...

reply to post by Nventual


music is a concrete reality living of different tones elements positive responds generating a sound sense of harmony and beauty confirming a superior standard of existence and not only positive interactions intelligence livings

what is the secret of beauty when it is not intelligence, it is the love to intelligence so it is the living source of intelligence

reply to post by Nventual


I find this subject interesting.

There was a study done on the human heart that found brain cells within it.

www.heartmath.org...

Bearing this in mind for a second.

The average human heart beat while resting is around 72 beats per minute.

Look at different kinds of music...



Approx 140 bpm (double the heart rest rate), creates energized feeling



Approx 40bpm, around half heart rest rate, creates relaxing feeling



Approx 30 bpm, just below half heart rest rate, creates relaxing feeling.



approx 140bpm, double heat rest rate, creates energized feeling.



Approx 96 bpm, 72 rest rate, slap 24 on top and you have yourself a nice boogie track that lifts the soul through the heart if you get me.

I could go on but what I am trying to show is that I believe that there is a direct link between the pace of music and the effects it gives to the listener. For example, a trance song that is naturally fast paced creates an increase in heart beat, this causes a particular feeling in your brain (because your heart is linked) that you either enjoy or do not enjoy depending on the mood your mind is in.

Likewise with a slow paced track, it will create a slower heartbeat and send a different signal to your brain from you heart depending on the track. Thats where you get a sense of exactly what music you like and what music you do not.

I think the sense of the confusion comes from people having different hearts if that makes sense.

Just my thoughts on the topic and apologies if the bpm is off, I dont have the best ears.



[edit on 19-3-2010 by XXXN3O]

I believe music plays upon sound cues in our brain, especially cues that are designed to stimulate us in sexual situations. What do I mean by cues? I mean pre-defined sounds stored in a database somewhere in our brain, that our brain has stored there in order to match outside sounds to, which will then in-turn trigger neurotransmitters to release, thus resulting in stimulation (the type of stimulation is dependant upon the cue). I believe there is something in the environment constantly changing our evolution intelligently, and these cues are a result of intelligent calculation. I'm fairly sure viruses are the ones who are intelligently designing us btw. Sorry, I think Darwin was a prude, and was too pissed off at humanity to ever get it straight. So let's say a few seconds of a song, mimicks the beautiful voice of a woman in some respect. Those few seconds will trigger our brain to release neurotransmitters of the sort we feel when we fall in love. Evidence lies in drug addicts, whose neurotransmitter system is no longer function properly. Hardcore drug addicts will no longer feel pleasure from music, like they did before. I believe this is due to decreased neurotransmitter production, or decreased sensitivity to these neurotransmitters when they are released.


[edit on 19-3-2010 by sliceNodice]

Maybe that's why I get so hype when I dj. I sPin dubstep, usually stick to the 140bpm range(or 70 half time depending on the track) and it's difficult for me to NOT get amped up. S&F

Music is the Audible expression of emotion.

Sound is the carrier signal that helps communicate energy from one being to another.

That's why Musician's seem to sway an audience and why only the best of them can make it work on a recording. Live music is almost always better because the unspoken requirement to be a great musician is the ability to broadcast emotional context clearly and universally.

For some physical responses to sound impulses look up "hemi-sync" and the "Monroe Institute." They've done quite a few studies on binaural response patterns and such. Besides the physical response in brain patterns, everything else makes sence once you accept that music is the audible expression of emotion.

(from T.V. show Castle) "Castle: How do you know when you're in love? Beckett: All the songs make sense."