Ever wonder why Jimi Hendrix's rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner" moved so many people in 1969 or why the music in the shower scene of "Psycho" still sends chills down your spine?
A UCLA-based team of researchers has isolated some of the ways in which distorted and jarring music is so evocative, and they believe that the mechanisms are closely related to distress calls in animals.
They report their findings in the latest issue of the peer-reviewed scientific journal Biology Letters, which publishes online June 12.
"Music that shares aural characteristics with the vocalizations of distressed animals captures human attention and is uniquely arousing," said Daniel Blumstein, one of the study's authors and chair of the UCLA Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology.
When the music featured distortion, subjects rated it as more exciting than the compositions without distortion. They also were more likely to describe the music as charged with negative emotion.
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Most of the effects, however, are undermined if the music is paired with unevocative imagery, the researchers found.
In a second study, they paired the same music compositions with 10-second video clips designed to be minimally evocative, showing, for example, people walking or drinking a sip of coffee. The researchers presented the pairings to another group of undergraduates. When the subjects heard the distorted musical pieces in the context of the videos, they did not find the music arousing but they did find the pieces more negative than when they were not paired with the videos.
"The video eliminated how exciting the distorted-sounding music seemed, but it didn't trump the emotional content of the music," Bryant said.
DOH! Thanks for locating it.Evo said:(zoob you forgot the link).
This brings to mind the (opening movement to) Moonlight Sonata, as played in Crimson Tide. It felt rather eerie.Evo said:Here is the actual article (zoob you forgot the link).
http://newsroom.ucla.edu/portal/ucla/dissonant-music-brings-out-the-234656.aspx
I was wondering if the reactions they noted could be the pre-conditioning of the test subjects to certain types of music they relate to certain movie genres, and sure enough, when the music was shown with opposing video, the impact was removed or lessened considerably.
This is a whole different type of dissonance, though. This would be cognitive dissonance as opposed to musical dissonance.Hurkyl said:This brings to mind the (opening movement to) Moonlight Sonata, as played in Crimson Tide. It felt rather eerie.
Tvtropes.org even has a page on this: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SoundtrackDissonance
Dissonant music is characterized by the use of harsh or jarring sounds, creating a sense of tension and discomfort. It often includes intervals or chords that clash and create a sense of dissonance.
Dissonant music has been found to evoke strong emotional responses in listeners, such as feelings of unease, fear, or aggression. It can also stimulate the autonomic nervous system, leading to increased heart rate and respiration.
Research suggests that the dissonant sounds in music may activate primal instincts in listeners, as they are reminiscent of the sounds of danger or distress in nature. This can trigger a fight or flight response and cause listeners to feel more in touch with their primal, animalistic nature.
No, the effect of dissonant music can vary from person to person. Some individuals may find it highly unpleasant and may even experience anxiety or discomfort, while others may find it intriguing or even pleasurable. Cultural and personal background can also play a role in how a person responds to dissonant music.
While dissonant music may not be to everyone's taste, some studies have shown potential benefits for certain individuals. For example, some people with depression or anxiety may find relief in the intense emotional release that dissonant music can provide. It can also be used as a tool for creativity and self-expression in certain types of music therapy.