jtotheizzoe: The Science of Why Adele’s ‘Someone Like You’ Makes Everyone Cry Tension, resolution, and the ever important “buildy-ness” (which is a term I invented but is accurate), these are the characteristics behind the most extreme emotional reactions to songs: Twenty years ago, the British psychologist John Sloboda conducted a simple experiment. He asked music lovers to identify passages of songs that reliably set off a physical reaction, such as tears or goose bumps. Participants identified 20 tear-triggering passages, and when Dr. Sloboda analyzed their properties, a trend emerged: 18 contained a musical device called an “appoggiatura.” An appoggiatura is a type of ornamental note that clashes with the melody just enough to create a dissonant sound. “This generates tension in the listener,” said Martin Guhn, a psychologist at the University of British Columbia who co-wrote a 2007 study on the subject. “When the notes return to the anticipated melody, the tension resolves, and it feels good.” Chills often descend on listeners at these moments of resolution. When several appoggiaturas occur next to each other in a melody, it generates a cycle of tension and release. This provokes an even stronger reaction, and that is when the tears start to flow. There’s just about the most detailed scientific analysis of a Grammy-winning song ever at the link. (via WSJ.com)
Pop-upView Separately

jtotheizzoe:

The Science of Why Adele’s ‘Someone Like You’ Makes Everyone Cry

Tension, resolution, and the ever important “buildy-ness” (which is a term I invented but is accurate), these are the characteristics behind the most extreme emotional reactions to songs:

Twenty years ago, the British psychologist John Sloboda conducted a simple experiment. He asked music lovers to identify passages of songs that reliably set off a physical reaction, such as tears or goose bumps. Participants identified 20 tear-triggering passages, and when Dr. Sloboda analyzed their properties, a trend emerged: 18 contained a musical device called an “appoggiatura.”

An appoggiatura is a type of ornamental note that clashes with the melody just enough to create a dissonant sound. “This generates tension in the listener,” said Martin Guhn, a psychologist at the University of British Columbia who co-wrote a 2007 study on the subject. “When the notes return to the anticipated melody, the tension resolves, and it feels good.”

Chills often descend on listeners at these moments of resolution. When several appoggiaturas occur next to each other in a melody, it generates a cycle of tension and release. This provokes an even stronger reaction, and that is when the tears start to flow.

There’s just about the most detailed scientific analysis of a Grammy-winning song ever at the link.

(via WSJ.com)

(via pokerintherearliquorinthefront-)

Source: The Wall Street Journal

17466 Notes/ Hide

  1. justkarii reblogged this from tenacioustev
  2. ikeepmypassionhigh reblogged this from musicalmelody and added:
    The Science of Why Adele’s ‘Someone Like You’ Makes Everyone Cry Tension, resolution, and the ever important...
  3. marginaldesires reblogged this from intricatelysimple
  4. intricatelysimple reblogged this from joserisms
  5. pandulaksono reblogged this from jtotheizzoe
  6. carpesomniu reblogged this from jtotheizzoe
  7. hadsotthesecond reblogged this from jtotheizzoe
  8. tenacioustev reblogged this from social-pandemonium
  9. lookthroughthe-viewfinder reblogged this from xechoincircles-misguidedghosts
  10. sabiiandrea reblogged this from malibueinstein
  11. xechoincircles-misguidedghosts reblogged this from alovelytangerinedream
  12. hidingfr0mtheworld reblogged this from alovelytangerinedream
  13. cynthialostcontrol reblogged this from madfulluh
  14. madfulluh reblogged this from drag--ropes
  15. drag--ropes reblogged this from alovelytangerinedream
  16. hannahkru reblogged this from alovelytangerinedream
  17. alovelytangerinedream reblogged this from jtotheizzoe
  18. bongica reblogged this from flavorpill
  19. life-is-fandomonium reblogged this from hurryupcomeon
  20. rawrrrmstrong reblogged this from holdmecloser-tonydanza
  21. mararara reblogged this from defightful and added:
    So interesting…
  22. defightful reblogged this from steelcity
  23. lovelypollution reblogged this from holdmecloser-tonydanza and added:
    Finally, an explanation for why “Someone Like You” and “Somebody That I Used to Know” are so popular while being so...
  24. wherefearandliesmeltaway reblogged this from holdmecloser-tonydanza
  25. holdmecloser-tonydanza reblogged this from jtotheizzoe
  26. blairwithredhair reblogged this from garunriot
  27. melodia8 reblogged this from jtotheizzoe