How Do Types of Music Affect the Pulse Rate?

Music can alter moods and touch people on physical, emotional and spiritual levels. It has the power to create moods and heighten or weaken emotions. Physically, people respond to music in many ways. For some people, certain rhythms evoke immediate response; they simply have to move to the beat. For example, an autistic boy who was previously unable to tie his shoelaces learned almost immediately when the instructions were set to music.

Rhythm

• Obviously, music can affect different people in different ways. One facet of music, rhythm, plays an important role in the human body's response to a song. Once heard, rhythm can elicit a physical response. The human body has its own rhythms such as heartbeat and breathing; consequently, when people hear music, they often respond to the rhythm --- perhaps by tapping their foot or dancing.

Baroque Music

• Determining how the body responds to music is not difficult. Classical music, especially from the baroque period, has been shown to relax the heart rate and pulse and consequently enable the mind to focus and concentrate. Baroque music also triggers the left and right sides of the brain, in turn stimulating and optimizing learning and information retention. Additionally, while enhancing learning abilities, it lowers the blood pressure, affecting breathing and the skin's electrical resistance.

Rock Music

• A study on the impact of rock-and-roll music on heart and pulse rates found that among three groups --- 12 to 22, 37 to 47 and 47 to 57 years old --- the eldest group had an increased heart and pulse rate after listening to rock-and-roll music for five minutes. The-12-to-22-year-old group had a decreased rate or no measurable increase.

Music Therapy

• While music and the human response to it is personal, researchers have rediscovered music therapy as a way to promote healing and better health. Ancient Chinese, American Indian, Greek and African cultures relied on music for healing, calming and relieving stress. Today, researchers are exploring the impact of music on individuals. A melody that relaxes a person will lower the heart rate and decrease blood pressure while increasing blood flow. Although researchers would like to discover one rhythm that will facilitate this process for everyone, in truth the kind of music that works best depends upon the individual's taste, be it opera, baroque or rock and roll.