We were having an argument the other day about whether or not music requires emotion. By dictionary definition, music is:
The art of arranging sounds in time so as to produce a continuous, unified, and evocative composition, as through melody, harmony, rhythm, and timbre.
But is that all it is? Is there not emotion involved in the creation of music? Is it possible to create music without becoming emotionally involved in some way? Is music, as some say, an attempt to communicate something, or is it nothing more than organized sound?
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An expression of the same thing25% Voted for by deleted all poems, ennoia, D8TisMeXD, love can wait, Kevin. (9 total)
"What I have in my heart must come out.
That is why I compose."
~Beethoven
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Music without emotion is lifeless, and emotion without music is inadequate.
Why does a major chord sound happy? Why does a minor chord sound sad?
Essentially what we listen for is the major third, or the minor third.
Mathematically, it's a relatively tiny variation in vibration ratios. Yet the difference between a major and minor third sounds like the whole scale of emotion!
So is there some inherent quality in a major third which equates HAPPY
?And is there some inherent quality in a minor third that creates SAD
?It's not one we could describe scientifically. Yet these are just simple chords.
When faced with a whole piece or song, no human on earth can deny drawing particular emotions from particular chord progressions and techniques. You might argue sadness is something we learn to associate with a beautiful melancholy piece of violin music, or that happiness is something we learn to equate with the music you heard at your favourite band's gig. But I think it's deeper than conditioning.
Films are almost ineffectual without music - emotion is conveyed to a far greater and more realistic degree with a well written incidental score.
Any musician will tell you they draw happiness from playing in their favourite quartet piece, or feel-good song.
Any composer will tell you their darkest, most heart wrenching works are fuelled by occasions in their life which reflect the depths of emotion of their music.
Music is so much an expression of emotion, and the interpretation of music by the listener is so reliant on the evocation of emotion, and since there appears to be no reason as to why particular chords/progressions produce particular emotional responses universally, I find it hard to see how these two things are expressions of the same thing.
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music14% Voted for by Crazyhead, Kevin, ForsakenAnimaForAng, Matrixheart23, shan700.
well, no...
but GOOD music does...
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emotion, yes8% Voted for by Kazrith, -TheLoneWolf-, Chanell.
i would have to say that emotion is important in giving the music depth. look at any slow song, listen to them enough and you become a calmer, less agitated person. listen to hard rock you get a more violent person (soldiers listen to heavy metal to "get into the mood")
i do believe that music has emotion or we wouldnt notice one song one day and not for a month before.
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Quotes hold the answer5% Voted for by D8TisMeXD, word warrior.
My band teacher for three years had the perfect definition of music: The art of combining tones together in a suitable manner, which is pleasant to ones ear. If it is at all possible to say that music contains no emotion, that shoot me now, for music is my life, and what is life without emotion? There is a quote about art, as in painting, but music is an art as well, and i believe this quote answers the question about music containing emotion. "Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures." If that does not tell you how music is created through emotion, nothing does.
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It should but it doesn't have toI love music a lot and I am extremely emotional about my music. However music can also be just a bunch of notes, hey, if that's what floats your boat, go for it. Personally I don't think I would be very attracted to music with no emotion but to say it is a REQUIRMENT? I would have to disagree. Music is exactly what you get out of it.Voted for by Red Death.
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well...Voted for by Bob the Elder.
music would still be music if it stirred no emotion. however it would not be worth much if it did not create some effect on it's listener.
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True music possesses emotion.Voted for by word warrior.
True music has a soul. True music has emotion. Music without emotion is just like a cacophony of sounds which do not appeal. It is the emotion which brings out the rhythm which we enjoy and flow with. The deeper the emotion, the deeper the ryhthm. The type of emotion determines the type of rhythm. That is why our moods usually determine the type of song we'd like to listen to. It is the emotion in the piece of music which we connect to at times like that. It makes perfect sense that the greatest musicians and composers of all time were individuals of high intellect who reached down into their being to bring forth evergreen classics.
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YESVoted for by Faerie.Princess.
any good piece of music or song has to come from the heart.. be written with emotion this way people can feel this emotion when listening to the music.
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music requires emotionVoted for by mellowdy.
loving to play music, aside from countless hours of practicing, requires emotion. performing for yourself or to a crowd requires emotion. i bottle up emotions, and music (and drawing) is my healthy way of releasing some emotion.
thank you for the music.
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Music Is Emotion.Voted for by Dark Red Ink.
Poetry is emotion. Songs are poetry set to music. Music is a song without words. Music is emotion.
In your definition you said music was 'the art of arranging sounds.. etc.' The key word there is art. Art is created for beauty or emotional power.
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MOST DEFINITELYVoted for by Black Swan Rose.
AS A SINGER AND A PERSON WHO REALLY APPRECIATES GOOD MUSIC.I AM OF THE OPINION THAT IF MUSIC IS GOING TO BE ANY GOOD IT MUST SPEAK TO THE HEART AND ENRAPTURE THE SOUL.EMOTION , EMOTION, EMOTION. YOU MUST FEEL IT WITH EVERY FIBRE OF YOUR BEING .
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Music is a greek wordMusic is actually a greek word that means; Offer praise.Voted for by frndofyaweh.
It is impossible to praise any individual or subject matter, without having emotions.
When you sing or play an instrument, you are preforming a form of worship for the subject you are covering.
This is why you hear time and again, musicians saying, "the music overtakes you on stage", "getting into the music", "music gets into your soul".
NOW: what does praise mean? It means to empower the subject., or give it confidence and strength to be alive and active.
When a singer sings about death, he is praising death, which gives death power and confidence in those who accept the praises. -
emotion required for making music?The only way to test this hypothesis, is to see if an emotionally sterile person could compose music.Voted for by Molzahn.
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Speaking for meI try my best not to get TO emotional. I get angry like every person on the planet, but when I'm happy, or sad, frustrated I tend to keep it to myself.Voted for by Whitemaiden.
This doesn't mean I have no emotions. On the contrary I have very STRONG emotions. I don't express them through words when I merely speak to people though. I use my poetry, stories, and my MUSIC to release myself. I pour my heart and soul into what I write and play. I have composed music on the piano before.
Sure, you can have music without emotions. But what is it music without emotion? It's like a car without an engine. To the naked it eye it looks beautiful, and powerful. But once you try to start it, there is no heart to it to make it go.
What sets music apart from mathmatical, and mere rhythmic compositions is what the musician puts into it. -
EmotionIn order to sucessfully create a peice of music that causes the eardrum to vibrate in a way that is pleasing and catchy, someone must be piling up different sounds, notes, etc.. and in order for someone to come up with music that sounds good, he must be able to hear his work, and alter it. And To alter it, emotion will sneak its way in there. And you cant stop it! mwhahahahahahaa!Voted for by Doom Pickels.
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Music unites the people of the world.Music unites the people of the world said my music teacher once. You do not need to know a certain language to tell that a song is beautiful or not. Without music, the world would have been a mistake....said Nietzsche.Voted for by Stella Cadente.
I think it does require emotion, I get goose bumps when I listen to my favorite song; If you're dead inside, then you're not going to feel the music. Remember, the words of helen keller....The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched - they must be felt with the heart; and music is surely one of the best and most beautiful things in the world.
I wrote a poem about music, and here some parts of it:
"Music is...
the shriek of the stars
rythms of intense heartbeats
elegy of tears
serrenade for deities
the pride of the ordinary
and pedestal of the virtuous" -
Well, no.I absolutely love music. And I write music from MY emotions. But music, by definition, is [from dictionary.com]:Voted for by Benedictum.
"The tones or sounds employed, occurring in single line (melody) or multiple lines (harmony), and sounded or to be sounded by one or more voices or instruments, or both."
While music MAY have emotion, it is not absolutely required. The first entry under music at that particular site involved the word 'emotion':
"An art of sound in time that expresses ideas and emotions in significant forms through the elements of rhythm, melody, harmony, and color."
But, if you think about it, randomly pushing keys on a harpsichord or plucking strings on a violin, no matter how unpleasant it may sound, is technically still music. And it's very true if you think about it. -
yes, it doeswithout emotion, music would probably sound like some weird monotone thing that makes your mind go numb >.> and even though it may not seem like it, if you listen to a song, you can kinda feel the singer's emotions in the song. you just have to listen hard enoughVoted for by Sadpuppet.
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That's an interesting questionI think that music, as you say, has an emotional tune to be created by, but I don't think it HAS to have one. Music can be good and comprehendable with as much as without any particular feelings strapped to it. It could also depend on the person listening. Take disco music or techno, for example. I don't like either, but I don't feel a particular sensation listening to them. But inasuch as music "requires" emotions, it can also recall emotions within the listener.Voted for by CitizenSoldier.
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December 30, 2005
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Jackymania
March 20, 2007
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This dull description of what music is, is rather a poor description as compared to the prose written above. s/he has done a fantastic job. kudos.
March 20, 2007
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March 21, 2007
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Ralgy
February 27
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here we would have to bring up 2 things:
1. What about other scales? Ionian, Lydian, Phrygian, ect. What type of moods do those have?
2. Isn't the "dark" minor scales just THOUGHT to be sound dark? as well as the "happy" major scale to sound happy? Would it have worked the same way if it was the opposite?(I don't know if I phrased that question right.)
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