Aesthetic evaluation of chord progressions in piano music
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1
Institute of Psychology I, University of Leipzig, Germany
Background: Depending on epoch and style, composers of music have used chord progressions in their composition that contemporary listeners are more or less familiar with.
Aims: We were interested in the aesthetic evaluation, obtained via beauty ratings, of more or less unusual events in music and in how these reactions differ between different groups of listeners.
Methods: 84 five-chord piano sequences were used with ending chords that were varied systematically in how far a modulation from their tonal centre they introduced. Beauty ratings, information on experience with music and on listening preferences were obtained from 154 participants in a web-based experiment.
Results: Overall, aesthetic appreciation was systematically associated with the usualness of the chord progressions. It was highest for the common and lowest for less common progressions. Differences were observed between music experts and non-experts and groups with different listening preferences. Music experts rated both common and less common chord progressions more positively than non-experts. Lovers of classical music rated the common sequences more positively. In contrast to that, participants with a strong preference for Jazz music judged the less common progressions more positively.
Conclusions: Experience with music and listening preferences play an important role in determining the aesthetic evaluation of chord progressions.
Conference:
Tuning the Brain for Music, Helsinki, Finland, 5 Feb - 6 Feb, 2009.
Presentation Type:
Poster Presentation
Topic:
Posters
Citation:
Müller
M,
Klein
J and
Jacobsen
T
(2009). Aesthetic evaluation of chord progressions in piano music.
Conference Abstract:
Tuning the Brain for Music.
doi: 10.3389/conf.neuro.09.2009.02.025
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Received:
26 Jan 2009;
Published Online:
26 Jan 2009.
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Correspondence:
Mira Müller, Institute of Psychology I, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany, mira.mueller@uni-leipzig.de