The major third has a ratio of 5/4, equal to 400 cents (a unit of pitch where 1200 cents make up an octave), whereas the minor third has a ratio of 6/5, or around 300 cents. Keys are distinguished by the relative ratios of the frequencies they consist of, and differences center around the third note of the sequence. To illustrate these differences, think of “Happy” by Pharell Williams, written in F major with a fast tempo, versus “Take Me To Church” by Hozier, written in E minor with a slower tempo. In addition, slower tempo music is perceived as more sad than higher tempo music. A key is the general group of notes, or the scale, that forms the basis of a composition, and it has generally been accepted that music in a major key feels upbeat and positive, whereas minor keys sound darker and sadder. In music common to Western culture, there are major and minor keys, the choice of which plays a large part in influencing perception. This further hints at humans’ possible inclination for interpreting rhythmic sound. It has been found that even young children, around the age of five, can sense the different emotions associated with varying tempos. Music with a slower tempo is often perceived as melancholy or contemplative, whereas a faster tempo indicates happiness and heightened levels of activity. Tempo, the pace of the music, is closely related to tactus, and variations within it show similar interpretations across cultures. Aside from tactus, there are several other characteristics that influence the interpretation of a piece. Human ability to match rhythm is called “tactus,” which describes the beat that humans naturally identify when listening to a composition. This would have been particularly useful when cooperation was needed for safety or progress, such as the coordinated construction of shelter. Įvolution may have also favored the synchronicity in matching a musical beat. Accordingly, the earliest forms of music were likely the beatings of hands or drums, but as the voice was found to cover a larger range of manipulation, it was added in. The latter does not only indicate life by its very nature, but it also inspires music and its design. Sounds are an explicit method of communication, and humans are exposed to rhythms from the earliest stages of life, starting with the pulsing cocoon of their mother’s heartbeat. This indicates that as modern humans evolved, we became less dependent on observing our world, and more reliant on our advanced language system to inform our lives. In terms of brain structure, primates have a larger area for visual processing compared to humans, while Homo sapiens dedicate a greater area to the processing of auditory information. In order to understand music’s role in our interpretation and imagination of fantastical worlds, we should first consider its evolution throughout and alongside human development. That said, the whole story behind music is still being sounded out, and some current theories are explored below. How do we create entire worlds for ourselves, whether familiar or from centuries before, based on the music we hear? Human perception of music is influenced by pitch, key, tempo and other factors, which evoke emotion by activating the limbic and paralimbic systems. Or if you haven’t watched a Disney movie in a while, what about the recent allure of the sea shanty? When listening to the now-familiar rhythm of the folk songs that traditionally accompanied laborious tasks while at sea, we imagine ourselves on a 19th century ship, helping to raise the sail or hoist up the anchor. When Disney movies open with a murmur of classical music, crescendoing into powerful waves, they immediately transport us to animated lands of princes and princesses, talking animals and evil stepmothers.
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