Summary: Listening to your favorite music has a positive effect on your mental and emotional health. Researchers say music affects the endocrine system, increasing dopamine levels and reducing the stress-related hormone, cortisol.
Source: the conversation
Music has a unique power To affect people’s feelings And many people use music to enhance or change their mood, channel emotions, and provide psychological support.
Music’s powerful emotional impact stems from its profound physical and emotional effects. For example, listening to relaxing music often has a positive effect of the autonomic nervous system (which controls many key bodily functions), slows breathing, regulates heart rate, lowers blood pressure, and reduces muscle tension.
Listening to music affects us at a deep physiological level, as it has a powerful effect on us endocrine systemwhich is responsible for the production of hormones.
Music can stimulate the release of neurotransmitters that reduce dopamine (reward hormone), cortisol levels (stress hormone) and increase salivary immunoglobulin A – an antibody that affects the experience of pleasure responsible for strengthening the immune system.
Of course, these benefits are only experienced if we listen to music that we enjoy. Introduction Also affects enjoyment, but even new music can stimulate positive physical and psychological responses if it is similar to other music we like.
Music we don’t like can have a powerful adverse effect on mood and well-being. Personal differences mean emotional The response to the song is different Depending on the participant’s preferences and the relationship they may have with the music. If we don’t like the song (or it brings back negative memories), it won’t make us happy, regardless of the quality.
Creating a personal soundscape
Portable listening devices and music streaming platforms have made it possible to choose from an unprecedented selection of musical styles. People can now listen to their favorite music anytime, anywhere.
This means music can be used to create a personal soundscape. It is common when using public transport, for example, that many passengers use headphones to create a distinct sonic environment as a distraction from the less pleasant aspects of traveling in crowded and noisy transport systems.
A Recent surveys, 71% of 2,000 participants said that music had the strongest effect on their mood, and about 75% regularly listened to music to cheer themselves up. In response to these findings, I conducted a review of published research to explore which musical features are present in “happy” songs.
It should be noted that musical preferences and expectations are culturally dependent. For example, some Asian cultures have different relationships between positive/negative emotions and major/minor chords, so Western “happy songs” cannot be interpreted as universal.
Within Western culture, popular music contains certain elements that are generally associated with positive emotions. Music that is considered “happy” is usually written in a major key with a bright tone, accompanied by a bright woodwind instrument, such as a trumpet or electric guitar.
“Happy” music usually adds The seventh note of the scale Three notes in chord major. It creates a brief sense of excitement – ​​or pleasurable anticipation – followed by relief or resolution as the harmonic progression moves forward as predicted by our previous listening experience.
For many people, listening to music becomes an obsession flow experience Which can distract from everyday worries. Active musical participation through dancing or singing brings added joy.
“A simple, consistent rhythm of a song based on two or four beats per bar.”danceability“, while a binary structure – verse-chorus-verse-chorus – helps establish familiarity so the song gets faster.”sing-alongable“
People usually Favorite music, or music that quickly becomes memorable. The most enjoyable songs can be those that strike a satisfying chord Balance between predictability and surpriseProviding an experience familiar enough to be enjoyable while avoiding being too simplistic or formulaic.
Unexpected changes can intensify emotional reactions. Listeners often get the most pleasure from music when they are fairly sure of what will happen next, but then an unexpected chord progression or key change provides a surprise.
Based on previous experiences, listeners form expectations about a piece of music. Although familiar music gives the most pleasure, it must have enough of a “surprise” element to hold enough interest to create a flow state. This explains the use of a bridge or middle eight (a section separate from the verse and chorus) in many songs.
Although the “happy song” is usually a written master keyThey sometimes include a section in a minor key to add interest.
Good Vibrations by the Beach Boys begins with a verse in a minor key and then builds to a powerful emotional upswing as it builds to a bright major key for the chorus.
speed of happiness
Fast music induces more positive emotions than slow music. Research suggests that music perceived as happy is usually performed in a tempo 140 and 150 beats per minute (BPM). Music people say they use Improve their mood Include Queen’s Don’t Stop Me Now at 156 BPM.
Tempo is a confounding variable factor Fast music increases excitement/excitement, but it may not always be associated with happiness. There may also be Age related differences In explanation
What is certain is that music can have a profound effect on our sense of well-being. Just stick to it I Got You by James Brown (or whatever tempts you to do a happy dance) and start feeling better.
This is about music and neuroscience research news
Author: Michael Bonshore
Source: the conversation
Contact: Michael Bonshore – The Conversation
Image: Image is in public domain
