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"A truly fascinating and eye-opening account of a phenomenon so commonplace we barely think about it, yet one which is also mind-bogglingly complicated. Once you've read The Music Instinct, you'll never listen to music the same way again."ûThe Independent" "I defy anyone to read this book without coming away better informed about why music affects us in such a profound way...[Ball's] passion for music is evident on every page, and his enthusiasms (whether for gamelan or Glenn Gould) are infectious. Most powerful is his message that music is a part of the chaos and splendour of human life itself."ûBee Wilson, The Sunday Times" "Exemplary"ûThe Guardian" "Philip Ball's language is clear...his love of the subject is abundantly evident...a delight"ûThe Daily Telegraph" "A remarkable achievement."ûClassic FM Magazine" "Award-winning author Philip Ball Provides the first comprehensive, accessible survey of what is known-and still unknown-about how music works its magic." "From Bach fugues to Indonesian gamelan. nursery rhymes to hip-hop music has permeated every corner of human culture. But why music excites such deep passions, and how we make sense of musical sound at all, has remained mysterious." "In The Music Instinct. Philip Ball shows that a capacity for (and enjoyment in) music-making is an inevitable consequence of the way our brain works. Natural-born pattern seekers, we always look for ways to organize what we hear, and get an emotional charge from patterns we find. Even while listening to the simplest of tunes, the brain is performing some astonishing gymnastics: discerning structure and regularities, forming interpretations, and setting up expectations to create a sense of aesthetic pleasure. Though he challenges such simplistic theories as the Mozart effect and right-brain, left-brain classification, Ball insists that music should form an indispensable part of education. With wit and affection the author leads us on a wide-ranging tour of science and music, unraveling the latest research m music psychology and brain science. humming all the while." A captivating account of the importance of music in our lives, The Music Instinct will broaden your horizons while deepening your appreciation of the music you love.
Preface
Author's Note
1 Prelude: The Harmonious Universe An Introduction 1
2 Overture: Why We Sing What is music and where does it come from? 9
3 Staccato: The Atoms of Music What are musical notes and how do we decide which to use? 32
4 Andante: What's In a Tune? Do melodies follow rules, and if so, which? 91
5 Legato: Keeping It Together How do we decode the sound? 137
6 Tutti: All Together Now How do we use more than one note at a time? 163
7 Con Moto: Slave to the Rhythm What gives music its pulse? 207
8 Pizzicato: The Colour of Music Why do instruments sound different, and how does that affect the music? 228
9 Misterioso: All In the Mind Which bits of the brain do we use for music? 240
10 Appassionato: Light My Fire How does music convey and elicit emotion? 254
11 Capriccioso: Going In and Out of Style What are musical styles? Is music about notes, or patterns, or textures? 322
12 Parlando: Why Music Talks to Us Is music a language? Or is it closer to the non-verbal arts? 355
13 Serioso: The Meaning of Music What are composers and musicians trying to say? Can music in itself say anything at all? 381
Coda: The Condition of Music 409
Credits 413
Notes 415
Bibliography 425
Index 443
Overview
"A truly fascinating and eye-opening account of a phenomenon so commonplace we barely think about it, yet one which is also mind-bogglingly complicated. Once you've read The Music Instinct, you'll never listen to music the same way again."ûThe Independent" "I defy anyone to read this book without coming away better informed about why music affects us in such a profound way...[Ball's] passion for music is evident on every page, and his enthusiasms (whether for gamelan or Glenn Gould) are infectious. Most powerful is his message that music is a ...