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Emotional Effects of Music Production

Ever since the ancient Greeks, many theorists and researchers have studied the effects of music on a person's emotional health and well-being. Even playing basic major or minor chords on a piano, both for the performer and the listener, can produce a pleasant emotional experience.

  1. Emotional Effects of Music

    • According to Scherer and Zentner of the Swiss Center for Affective Sciences, empirical evidence based on several psychological research projects has shown that listeners typically agree on specific emotions that are expressed through a piece of music. However, there is a distinction between what the music is expressing and the emotions the listener actually experiences.

    Emotivists vs. Cognitivists

    • Emotivists believe music actually produces and elicits a real emotional response in listeners, although the specific emotion may vary from person to person. Cognitivists hold the viewpoint that a piece of music merely represents and expresses emotions, which the listener can interpret and understand through their own emotions.

    Variables

    • Although most, if not all, music can represent and elicit emotions in its listeners, there are several variables to consider that make it difficult to pinpoint the exact nature of the relationship between music and its listeners. For example, some individuals may experience a deeper connection with music as it represents part of their learning or processing style or perhaps a deep connection with their past family life or activities. Other variables include the structure of the piece being listened to, the interpretation of the musical piece by the performer and the emotional state of the listener.

    Examples

    • According to HowMusicReallyWorks, different variations in pitch and tempo are connected with different emotional experiences in the listener. Low pitches are associated with emotions such as fear, seriousness, solemness or tenderness, while monotonic low pitches can elicit feelings of anger or boredom. Wandering or unfocused pitch arrangements are associated with sad emotions. Soft, quiet music is often associated with emotions such as sadness, tenderness and peacefulness. Very loud or distorted music can elicit feelings of anger or fear.

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