The Basics of Brain to Understand Music

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1		Razvan Adrian Covache-Busuioc	--	1209	2023-10-08 11:48:02	\|
2	only format change	Alfred Zheng	Meta information modification	1209	2023-10-09 03:49:52	\|

This entry is adapted from the peer-reviewed paper 10.3390/brainsci13101390

Music is a complex phenomenon with multiple brain areas and neural connections being implicated. Music is a universal phenomenon that utilizes a myriad of brain resources. Engaging with music is among the most cognitively demanding tasks a human can undergo, and it is identified across all cultures; therefore, it underscores its fundamental human nature. Fundamental to understanding music are the concepts of pitch perception, rhythm perception, and tonality perception.

pitch perception rhythm perception tonality perception

1. Introduction

The inherent complexity of music renders it a multifaceted subject that eludes simple definitions. While many describe it as an ordered arrangement of sounds, musical elements such as harmony or the bass line require intricate understanding and considerable effort to master.

Music is a universal phenomenon that utilizes a myriad of brain resources. Engaging with music is among the most cognitively demanding tasks a human can undergo, and it is identified across all cultures; therefore, it underscores its fundamental human nature ^[1]. The proclivity to create and appreciate music is ubiquitous among humans, permeating daily life across diverse societies ^[2]. This inherent connection to musical expression is deeply intertwined with human identity and experience. Molnar-Szakacs further emphasizes music’s unique capacity to evoke memories, stimulate emotions, and enrich social interactions ^[2]. Historical examples underscore the therapeutic potential of music. For instance, Johann Sebastian Bach’s Goldberg Variations (BWV 988) was purportedly composed to alleviate a count’s insomnia, underscoring music’s therapeutic potential ^[3]^[4]^[5]. The profound emotional impact of music, whether it be the melancholy evoked by a nocturne from F. Chopin or the elation induced by W. A. Mozart, has inspired ongoing research into its relationship with emotions and psychological disorders ^[6]. Fundamental to understanding music are the concepts of pitch perception, rhythm perception, and tonality perception.

2. The Basics of Understanding Music

2.1. Pitch Perception

Predominantly processed in the auditory cortex, pitch perception pertains to the brain’s handling of sound information. The auditory cortex features a tonotopic map wherein specific regions are sensitive to distinct frequencies. Human auditory perception ranges from 20 to 20,000 Hz, with distinct pitches resonating at precise locations on the basilar membrane. Yost et al. expound that understanding pitch necessitates a grasp of the biomechanical mechanisms and neurological shifts in sound as well as the diverse ways pitch can be conceptualized and potentially quantified ^[7]. Often, pitch is defined as the attribute of sound that sequences it from low to high levels. Musically, pitch aids in recognizing melodies and discerning intervals, with quantification methods ranging from equal-temperament tuning scales to the perceptive mel scale ^[8].

For instance, a standard 1000 Hz tone delivered at a 40 dB sound pressure level corresponds to 100 mels on the mel scale. It is important to note that variations in perceived pitch proportionately influence mel values. Much of pitch perception research delves into complex sounds, with the pitch of basic tones like sinusoids determined by frequency. Intricacies in encoding high-frequency and low-frequency tonal signals differentiate them, and while amplitude modulation is absent in simple tonal sounds, temporal mechanisms might play a role in low-frequency pitch perception ^[9].

In summary, understanding sound transformations, coupled with a range of definitions and measurement techniques, is imperative for accurate pitch perception. This encompasses melody recognition capacity, interval discernment, and frequency perception, with various mechanisms, both spectral and temporal, influencing pitch perception ^[10].

2.2. Rhythm Perception

Beat perception engages specific brain regions associated with motor planning and timing, notably the basal ganglia and the supplementary motor area. Interestingly, even passive listening to music can activate these neural domains ^[11]. The ability to discern a steady pulse underlying a rhythmic stimulus defines beat perception. This inherent pulse, which rhythmically structures the music, is an elemental consistency that the human cognitive apparatus innately detects. By accentuating beats in specific patterns, people can synchronize our movements (e.g., dancing or foot tapping) and regulate our temporal perception, culminating in the creation of meter. Rhythmic perception necessitates a combination of interval-based (absolute) timing and beat-based (relative) timing. While interval-based timing is observed in both humans and various animal species, beat-based timing might be unique to humans ^[12]^[13].

Motor theories centered on timing are primarily focused on beat-based timing. Active motor engagement seems to actively mold our perception of beats. For instance, the negative mean asynchrony effect, where one’s taps often precede the actual beat, underscores the pivotal role of anticipation in beat-based timing. Humans establish rhythmic timing anticipations and maintain a versatile perception of the intrinsic rhythmic architecture, even when confronted with alterations in tempo. Notably, rhythm perception is not merely passive; it is influenced by an individual’s active cognitive processing and volitional control, underpinned by metric interpretation ^[14]. Moreover, the very act of motor engagement shapes the perception of beats, manifests bodily movements, enhances temporal perception, and influences interpretations of ambiguous rhythms. Both overt motor actions and their covert counterparts play a role in refining perceptual sharpness. Even in scenarios devoid of visible motion, there is accumulating evidence that motor engagement modulates the perception of beat and meter. Contemporary research posits that the motor system not only influences beat perception but can also augment synchronicity with music ^[12]. Faster movements can also modulate the perceived pace of music segments ^[15].

To encapsulate, beat perception involves recognizing a steady pulse amidst rhythmic stimuli, a process that is dynamically shaped by motor activity, conscious modulation, adaptive tempo perception, and anticipatory mechanisms. Remarkably, even in scenarios devoid of overt motion, our sense of rhythm and meter remains intricately linked with the motor system ^[16]^[17].

2.3. Tonality Perception

The comprehension of key and harmony in music engages distinct neural domains, including the auditory, prefrontal, and parietal cortices. Scientific investigations are currently delving deeper into understanding the brain’s intricacies in processing musical harmony. The notion of harmony primarily stems from the amalgamation of sounds in Western tonal music. Within this musical paradigm, pitches are hierarchically arranged based on their congruence within a specific tonal context. Scales utilized in Western tonal compositions emanate from this pitch hierarchy. While the behavioral science community acknowledges the hierarchical essence of pitch organization, the neural substrates underpinning it remain a realm of exploration ^[18].

In a distinct study centered on J. S. Bach’s compositions, researchers probed the psychological relevance of musicians’ conception of tonality. Here, musically trained listeners were tasked with singing the first scale that resonated with them post hearing snippets from Bach’s Preludes in The Well-Tempered Clavier. The selected tonic (starting note) and mode (major/minor) were then juxtaposed against Bach’s original specifications. The data revealed that listeners could often discern the designated tonic and mode merely from the initial quartet of notes. However, as the piece progressed, there was a marked tendency to gravitate toward tonalities divergent from the original key, notably within the initial eight bars. By the concluding quartet of bars, the original tonic was often reaffirmed. Such findings not only spotlight the cognitive intricacies of tonality perception but also align with the postulations of music theorists regarding tonal discernment by listeners ^[19].

Tonality serves as the linchpin in music, underpinning the creation and comprehension of musical constructs such as melodies. A contemporary dynamic theory on musical tonality posits a nonlinear response of auditory neuron networks to musical stimuli. This tonal cognition, the intrinsic interconnections perceived amidst tones, arises from the robust and harmonious associations among brain frequencies, a phenomenon attributable to nonlinear resonance ^[20]^[21].

References

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Molnar-Szakacs, I.; Overy, K. Music and mirror neurons: From motion to emotion. Soc. Cogn. Affect. Neurosci. 2006, 1, 235–241.
Leonardi, S.; Cacciola, A.; De Luca, R.; Aragona, B.; Andronaco, V.; Milardi, D.; Bramanti, P.; Calabrò, R.S. The role of music therapy in rehabilitation: Improving aphasia and beyond. Int. J. Neurosci. 2018, 128, 90–99.
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Razvan-Adrian Covache-Busuioc

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Update Date: 09 Oct 2023

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