Why do human beings like listening to music?

LinearLineman

“An advantage of neuroscience is that we can relate our answer to established empirical findings and draw from two especially relevant domains: the neuroscience of auditory perception and of the reward system. To give away the punch line of my article, I believe that music derives its power from an interaction between these two systems, the first of which allows us to analyze sound patterns and make predictions about them, and the second of which evaluates the outcomes of these predictions and generates positive (or negative) emotions depending on whether the expectation was met, not met, or exceeded.“

I find the last part fascinating, resonating and loathsome. Fortunately, human creators have been able to step beyond this tiresome two step and drag humanity, bellowing and begrudging, behind them. It is this primordial characteristic, perhaps so necessary for human survival, that has dogged original thinkers since the invention of the wheel.

I don’t deny it in myself. When I hear a beloved song my expectations are part of the joy. When I hear Nessun Dorma sung by Pavarotti I salivate for the beauty to come. A harsh note when someone spills hot coffee on their hand, the needle being dragged across the turntable by an Unforeseen earthquake, are destroyers of that expectation, and rightly so. But the downside, on a larger palette, is fraught with naysayers and Luddites.

supadom

For most parts music is associated with fun/dance/dreaming/pleasure. We, humans love fun, are dreamers, dancers and pleasure seekers. Then, there’s healing.

Ailerom

@LinearLineman said:
I find the last part fascinating, resonating and loathsome. Fortunately, human creators have been able to step beyond this tiresome two step and drag humanity, bellowing and begrudging, behind them. It is this primordial characteristic, perhaps so necessary for human survival, that has dogged original thinkers since the invention of the wheel.

I don’t deny it in myself. When I hear a beloved song my expectations are part of the joy. When I hear Nessun Dorma sung by Pavarotti I salivate for the beauty to come. A harsh note when someone spills hot coffee on their hand, the needle being dragged across the turntable by an Unforeseen earthquake, are destroyers of that expectation, and rightly so. But the downside, on a larger palette, is fraught with naysayers and Luddites.

Yes so true all you said. I anticipate much yet I feel I get more joy out of expecting something but getting something different. I really love it when that happens.

stug111

If string theory is correct and the universe is made from tiny vibrating strings then we are already tuned in to all frequencies. But we probably live in a hologram and reality is an illusion anyway. I'm pretty sure in one of the many extra dimensions I'm already rich and famous and not writing rubbish on a forum.

jolico

@stug111 said:
If string theory is correct and the universe is made from tiny vibrating strings then we are already tuned in to all frequencies. But we probably live in a hologram and reality is an illusion anyway. I'm pretty sure in one of the many extra dimensions I'm already rich and famous and not writing rubbish on a forum.

Or we could be in one of the simulations created by one of the beings in another simulation in one of the universes.

dobbs

The times reported the universe vibrates at Bb.

That's an interesting article. The world's heaviest subwoofer, a black hole:

And what it is singing, and perhaps has been singing for more than two billion years, they say, is B flat -- a B flat 57 octaves lower than middle C.

The black hole is playing ''the lowest note in the universe,'' said Dr. Andrew Fabian.

(source)

They should expand MIDI to 128bit notes so we can play universe music!!!

JeffChasteen

@ecamburn said:
It's complicated.
Great read (IMO) that speaks to questions like this:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/This_Is_Your_Brain_on_Music

Another recommend. It is a great read.

djpuzzle

Humans are obsessed with numbers and math. Music is a mathematical sensory experience unlike no other. it tickles our eardrums and invokes emotions and thoughts. It can release endorphins in the brain.

MobileMusic

1) Try this -

Do cooking or vacuuming your place.

2) Now try this -

Turn some music on.
Do cooking or vacuuming your place.

Do you notice any difference? In the 2nd method of doing things, it is quite enjoyable and feel no pain or boredom. You probably already know this though.

What’s life without music, anyway??

Ailerom

@MobileMusic said:
Try this -

Do cooking or vacuuming your place.

Now try this -

Turn on some music.
Do cooking or vacuuming your place.

Do you see any difference?

What’s life without music??

Exactly. In movies even psychopaths seem to like some background entertainment while they carve up a body.

cuscolima

Sigmund Freud had no interest for music. Maybe this is a good start to understand why normal people love music so much ;o)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychoanalysis_and_music

SevenSystems

2 spontaneous ideas (note, these are not from a cultural, but more from an evolutionary perspective)

• synchronizes multiple members of the tribe to make one more powerful / coordinated unit (important for survival -- note the extensive use of music in and around warfare)
• exercise for important tasks of the brain like timing, sound / pattern recognition

SevenSystems

@Ailerom said:
music—although obviously pleasurable—doesn’t offer the same evolutionary advantages.

I'd disagree -- see my post above 🙂

colonel_mustard

"Music is the pleasure the human mind experiences from counting without being aware that it is counting." - Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz

CracklePot

I think enjoying music is not just for human beings.
Have you not seen the many YT videos of various animals enjoying music?

simonnowis

the use of 'work' songs to coordinate , to soothe and endure ...

music is powerful medicine

some (i'm thinking of Gurdjieff and Assagioli) believe in 'objectively' good & bad music,
outside of it's aesthetic quality
useful for both good and ill

and there's Sun Ra, asked as to why his music was becoming more atonal,
replied, "to be in tune with the times"

maybe
i only know what i like

apparently dogs are keen on reggae ...
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/jan/31/dogs-reggae-soft-rock-10-top-dog-tracks

Ailerom

@SevenSystems said:
2 spontaneous ideas (note, these are not from a cultural, but more from an evolutionary perspective)

• synchronizes multiple members of the tribe to make one more powerful / coordinated unit (important for survival -- note the extensive use of music in and around warfare)
• exercise for important tasks of the brain like timing, sound / pattern recognition

Seems to be a convincing point. Surprised this didn't seem obvious but I agree.

SevenSystems

@Ailerom said:

@SevenSystems said:
2 spontaneous ideas (note, these are not from a cultural, but more from an evolutionary perspective)

• synchronizes multiple members of the tribe to make one more powerful / coordinated unit (important for survival -- note the extensive use of music in and around warfare)
• exercise for important tasks of the brain like timing, sound / pattern recognition

Seems to be a convincing point. Surprised this didn't seem obvious but I agree.

Thanks Sorry I know, most readers probably expected some kind of complicated spiritual emotional high-rise building, but sometimes the simplest answers might actually be the best (not saying mine is)

nickneek

This book is very cool: an evolutionary explanation as to why we like pitched sounds and why major = happy and minor= sad. Well worth a read of you can get hold of a copy, and plenty of references for further reading too.

https://g.co/kgs/3V2qes

JeffChasteen

@SevenSystems said:
2 spontaneous ideas (note, these are not from a cultural, but more from an evolutionary perspective)

• synchronizes multiple members of the tribe to make one more powerful / coordinated unit (important for survival -- note the extensive use of music in and around warfare)
• exercise for important tasks of the brain like timing, sound / pattern recognition

Sounds very plausible to me.

SealTeamSick

I don’t understand why people have such a hard time with categories. Ever wondered why there is such a thing as philosophy? What is art? Why do we like it? Science cannot answer this question. There’s a whole branch of philosophy (aesthetics) devoted to this.

ashh

Everybody likes music don't they?

Doc_T

All what exists is oscillation, vibration and frequency. Day and night. Rotating planets. Waves. Information. Steps. Heartbeat. Everything is music. Music is joy. Music is life.

MobileMusic

Music is an integral part of life - from wedding to funeral - and everything in between.

Even cats and cows love listening to music.

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=cows+music

beatstella

Simple math aka universal language:

“Music is the pleasure the human mind experiences from counting without being aware that it is counting.”

Gottfried Leibniz

aka joy of repetition

We -human beings- adore mathematical constructs, no surprises here, because we are living in one. It is hardcoded in our genes.

The whole universe is nothing but a mathematical construct, the dna is nothing but a billion-year optimized mathematical code.

So being able to experience (in our case also create) these invisible constructs (musical compositions), triggers emotions which are chemical (no need to mention that chemistry/physics/biology etc. is built on mathematics) algorithms which give meaning to being alive.

This is bullet-proof science.

But one step further and as a side note, mystics also claim:
“You are not even human, you happen to observe one from the inside, for a limited time.”

So keep on rockin’ and make beautiful music.

TheVimFuego

Music is magic, any further analysis here dilutes the experience.

Ailerom

@TheVimFuego said:
Music is magic, any further analysis here dilutes the experience.

Informative.

beatstella

@TheVimFuego said:
Music is magic, any further analysis here dilutes the experience.

Agreed. But so do gaze, movement, language, words (i.e. SPELLing).

I assumed the OP is also investigating “why music is magic?”

just trying to justify the “further analysis” of mine

TheVimFuego

@Ailerom said:

@TheVimFuego said:
Music is magic, any further analysis here dilutes the experience.

Informative.

Thanks, I try my best to add value.

bobpadUser

I feel on the lowest level it is because everything in this universe is some form of a vibration with frequency. We are only evolved to perceive them at certain level and all these things are tied together with a universal rule - maths / patterns.

I see interesting similarity with sounds and colors -

7 colors in the VIBGYOR spectrum vs 7 full notes in a scale.

12 colors (Primary+ secondary + tertiary) vs 12 notes in a scale when you add half notes as well.

You can create a secondary color by mixing two primary colors. Interval is 3

Interestingly diad chords are formed when you mix two notes separated by Interval 3.

I think similarly you can extend this to even triad chords vs tertiary colors.

I also feel primary colors (Red, Yellow, Blue) are strong colors or something that eyes can easily catch on to
vs
Resolution notes - I feel (to my ear) C, E and A always resolves into a base which is strong and from which we can easily pivot

But it is strange that while we can perceive different harmonics of the same notes, am not sure if we can see harmonics of color spectrum (if at all there is such a thing :-) ) - a hint that our ears are more evolved than our eyes, may be since life began underwater.