Can Music Really Change Your Thoughts and Emotions?

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In summary, the music in "The Girl from Ipanema" encourages specific mental states, depending on the listener's cultural background. The chords and notes in the song are complicated, but the melody is easy to follow.
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Mary Conrads Sanburn
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Astrud Gilberto With Stan Getz - Girl From Ipanema (1964)


Music Changes the Way You Think
Different music encourages different frames of mind
By Daniel A. Yudkin, Yaacov Trope on June 24, 2014
[. . .]
How does all this relate to repeating chord patterns? What the researchers have done, cleverly, is consider music’s ability to conjure up highly specific mental states. Tiny, almost immeasurable features in a piece of music have the power to elicit deeply personal and specific patterns of thought and emotion in human listeners. (One need only listen to Astrud Gilberto’s Grammy-winning performance of the Girl from Ipanema to re-appreciate music’s ability to capture strange and mysterious moods.) Hansen and Melzner have exploited this fact to provoke in listeners thought patterns corresponding to precisely those mapped by construal level theory.
[. . .]
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https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/music-changes-the-way-you-think/
 
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cool article and great tune, although the tritone - devil in music story is a myth.
 
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@Mary Conrads Sanburn, nice discussion being the post #1, and a very interesting piece of musical composition. The harmony the music is built with is complicated. There is a YouTube *video presenting an analysis (but I do not have a reference link for it). This is the kind of thing I asked about on the forum a couple of times, but nobody (or at least not from most physical sciences/scientists) know why or how.

That song or piece of music creates an image and sensations, something of landscape and other earthly sounds,... I will not go into that here , now. You could try to, if you want.*The member TeethWhitener later found and posted that video in post #16.
 
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The video with Astrud Gilberto on the LARGE thumbnail dispaly of post #1 is currently unavailable; but if you'all or whoever try a search on YouTube, you'll find something, even if not that exact one.

EDIT: just underneath the "unavailable" statement, there is another link, "Watch on YouTube", and THAT is working.

ANOTHER EDIT: For added interest, be aware Jobim did create the song based on a real Girl From Ipanema:
 
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  • #6
symbolipoint said:
@Mary Conrads Sanburn, nice discussion being the post #1, and a very interesting piece of musical composition. The harmony the music is built with is complicated. There is a YouTube video presenting an analysis (but I do not have a reference link for it). This is the kind of thing I asked about on the forum a couple of times, but nobody (or at least not from most physical sciences/scientists) know why or how.

That song or piece of music creates an image and sensations, something of landscape and other earthly sounds,... I will not go into that here , now. You could try to, if you want.
A lot of maths in that track...

Sorry I couldn't resist.
 
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pinball1970 said:
A lot of maths in that track...

Sorry I couldn't resist.
Most certainly so for those who have full enough understanding; but how does this music with its contained mathematicalness express to me and to others, the felt images and the "earthly sensations" which it does? I have a few ideas but they are very very very murky.
 
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Per the Stravinsky quote I stole in the previous thread, Music cannot inherently express anything. The notes and rhythms in Girl from Ipanema contain a slew of cultural references that provide meaning to us - the Samba clave, impressionistic, extended jazz harmony etc - but this only provides any meaning or communication of mood because we possesses the cultural background to get it. If one played the song to Mozart, it would likely sound quite bizarre to him.
 
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  • #9
The Mystery Behind the Girl from Ipanema

“The Girl from Ipanema” is one of the most famous songs from Brazil, capturing an innocent crush on a local Carioca girl. The song was written by Antônio Carlos Jobim and Vinicius de Moraes in 1962, with Jobim behind the music and Moraes wistfully coining the lyrics. But these lyrics weren’t the result of a strong imagination – the girl from Ipanema really does exist.

Read more here:

https://theculturetrip.com/south-america/brazil/articles/the-mystery-behind-the-girl-from-ipanema/
 
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symbolipoint said:
Most certainly so for those who have full enough understanding; but how does this music with its contained mathematicalness express to me and to others, the felt images and the "earthly sensations" which it does? I have a few ideas but they are very very very murky.
We are back to harmonies again. Certain notes can be played together and other combinations produce dissonance.

I play GFI in F (a simple arrangement) but the first chord has a G note over the top as its part of the tune. It's not in the chord (notes FAC) but it is in the scale, the second note of F major so nothing too crazy harmonically.

IF I played an F# or G# it would sound odd because neither of those notes belong harmonically. Your ear would recognize that note should be elsewhere.

That’s just one example and composers use the notes that should be elsewhere in a clever way, your ear picks them out dissonance which creates tension so one is left waiting for a resolution.

The structure is universal but how it is used is not, the first time you hear jazz it sounds like a jumbled mess there is so much going on.

If I played the music of one culture to another it would seem alien BUT there is always structure.

The maths/physic is the same but the rules are just applied differently.
 
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pinball1970 said:
The structure is universal but how it is used is not, the first time you hear jazz it sounds like a jumbled mess there is so much going on.
Why? Do our mind have more trouble sensing a pattern? Have we more trouble finding or feeling structure in the jazz?

I'm not certain about it but maybe Girl From Ipanema was loosely based on Samba rhythm, so maybe this does something for whatever feeling the listener is supposed to find when hearing it.
 
  • #12
symbolipoint said:
Why? Do our mind have more trouble sensing a pattern? Have we more trouble finding or feeling structure in the jazz?

I'm not certain about it but maybe Girl From Ipanema was loosely based on Samba rhythm, so maybe this does something for whatever feeling the listener is supposed to find when hearing it.
If you listen to tribal music you will find it is mostly all in one key
There are harmonies tunes but they tend to stay in place, one chord or possibly two/three at most.
There will not be any weird combinations or intervals mostly 3rds and 5ths fitting in the scale and key they are in.
Jazz and a lot of classical music can have very complicated structure, complex chords, fast chords, passing notes (not in the scale) and key changes and it is difficult to process if do not listen to that music or do not play.
Musicians train their ear (actually brain) to recognize these different patterns.

There is a reason nursery rhymes have a simple structure and do not use the 7th#9 chord! (People call it the Jimi (Hendrix) chord)

In terms of rhythm I have no idea and I am drummer!
There must be some sort of evolutionary thing going on why different rhythms feel like they do.
Some make sense just because of the pattern- 4/4 – 4 beats in a bar simple enough.
Where you put the emphasis tho changes everything.
I don’t know the difference between Bossa nova (I should) and Samba- I think they are similar I thought that was what GFI was.
I think its easier explaining music structure than rhythm, why a particular emphasis or grace note sounds cool.
 
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pinball1970 said:
In terms of rhythm I have no idea and I am drummer!
No surprise there then :wink: (cue a string of "what do you call someone who hangs out with musicians?" type jokes).
 
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  • #14
pbuk said:
No surprise there then :wink: (cue a string of "what do you call someone who hangs out with musicians?" type jokes).
I understand some of the theory of music and can play a bit on guitar and piano. I AM a drummer though, when I am not doing my day job!
 
  • #15
well that was back when popular music was written for adults. Can anyone imagine a top 40 song today with that level of harmonic or rhythmic sophistication?
 
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pinball1970 said:
I play GFI in F
You might be interested in Adam Neely's takedown of Girl From Ipanema and why the key it's played in matters culturally:

Intriguing subtleties are afoot.
 
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TeethWhitener said:
You might be interested in Adam Neely's takedown of Girl From Ipanema and why the key it's played in matters culturally:

Intriguing subtleties are afoot.

That was interesting
I have been playing it in the wrong key, wrong chords, different voicings, whilst missing out key figures from the original recording...
 
  • #18
the key of Db was likely for Joao Gilberto’s range, Jobim himself seemed to always play it in F







 
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pinball1970 said:
That was interesting
I have been playing it in the wrong key, wrong chords, different voicings, whilst missing out key figures from the original recording...
F is legit, but definitely use 6/9 chords - (1x001x) or (x8778x) on guitar -instead of Maj7 for the tonic
 
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  • #20
It's a great classic song.
 
  • #21
DennisN said:
It's a great classic song.
parts of the melody bounce and other parts of the melody are longer and smoother while the kinds of chords supporting the music and their sequence give a cool, relaxing, by-the-water/enjoyment-of-the-seashore feel.
 
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1. Can music actually change my thoughts and emotions?

Yes, studies have shown that music has the ability to alter our thoughts and emotions. The brain processes music in a unique way, activating various areas that are involved in emotion and memory. This can lead to changes in our mood, perception, and even behavior.

2. How does music affect our thoughts and emotions?

Music has the power to evoke strong emotional responses in individuals. This is because it can activate the reward centers in our brain, releasing dopamine and other feel-good chemicals. It can also stimulate the release of stress-reducing hormones, leading to a more relaxed and positive state of mind.

3. Can different genres of music have different effects on our thoughts and emotions?

Yes, different genres of music can have varying effects on our thoughts and emotions. For example, fast-paced and upbeat music tends to increase arousal and energy levels, while slower and more calming music can induce a sense of relaxation and tranquility. It ultimately depends on an individual's personal preferences and associations with certain types of music.

4. Is there a specific type of music that is most effective in changing our thoughts and emotions?

There is no one specific type of music that is universally effective in changing thoughts and emotions. It largely depends on the individual and their personal experiences and associations with different types of music. However, research has shown that music with a strong emotional appeal or personal significance tends to have a greater impact on our thoughts and emotions.

5. Can music be used as a therapeutic tool to change our thoughts and emotions?

Yes, music therapy has been shown to be a powerful tool for promoting emotional and mental well-being. It is often used in clinical settings to help individuals cope with a variety of issues, such as anxiety, depression, and PTSD. Music therapy can also be used as a self-care tool for managing stress and improving overall mood and emotional state.

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