Welcome to LivingPianos.com, I’m Robert Estrin. Today’s subject is about how music creates emotion. There are many scientific studies about this. It’s remarkable that you can listen to a tune, a theme, a composition, a symphony, or a song, and it can make you feel something inside! How is this possible? There’s a lot to it. But today I want to talk about two fundamental principles of music that I believe are the primary mechanisms by which we feel emotion in music: repetition and development.
Repetition is such a strong aspect of being able to feel emotion in music.
Repetition helps you to comprehend what’s going on. There’s something very refreshing about returning to a familiar theme, particularly when you transition from something chaotic. That’s why a sonata-allegro form which has repeated sections of themes that develop, then return later, is a magical formula. It feels right. The same sort of formula is used in popular songs. The verse and chorus alternate back and forth. Then the bridge takes you astray. So when the verse or chorus returns, it feels so satisfying!
Development is also vital.
Developing upon a familiar theme can bring out many different emotions. For example, the beautiful theme in the Chopin G Minor Ballade. – how it is first stated, and how it comes back completely differently again and again. And because it’s a familiar theme, it has so much power. In the first repeat of the theme, it has little embellishment. But later in the Ballade, you hear the same theme in a grandiose version. It transcends into a gloriously dramatic theme. But if you hadn’t earlier heard the same theme in that delicate, poetic setting, it wouldn’t have such an impact. That’s just one example. There are limitless examples of repetition and development in music, which are the keys for being able to create emotion in music. There’s much more to it than that, but these are two elements that are intrinsic to virtually all music!
I hope you’ve enjoyed this. Thanks again for joining me! I’m Robert Estrin here at LivingPianos.com, Your Online Piano Resource.
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6 thoughts on “How Music Creates Emotion”
Thanks Robert!
Beautiful piano sound in this video. What is the piano and what are the mics?
Thanks.
Leads to a question: as a performer, what emotions do you have? Is it like Method acting? I know we cannot quantify how much is intellect and how much is emotion.
One Russian teacher said the performer uses more a memory of emotion.
The way I do it is to be half player with a plan and half listener so that my emotions arise mostly as a listener, not as someone pushing my feelings into the piece.
Be interested in your take.
My teacher at the Manhattan School of Music said to play with the memory of the emotions of the music. Like you, I don’t take it that far. In practice, I strive for complete accuracy and strive for a straight ahead performance. I push my limits by playing the music every way imaginable: different tempi, styles, articulations, etc.
At the end of the line, during performance, there can be substantial feelings. But you must have part of you lovingly looking down on yourself (like a parent with a child), making sure the performance doesn’t get off track.
When I was about 6 or so, I composed a little song, which I called “The Airplane”. It starts with a lyrical, gentle section, followed by an agitated middle section in the relative minor, returning to the original theme in the end. I thought of it as the plane taking off and serenely flying, then encountering a storm, passing through, and returning safely to earth. I wish I had composed more, but for some reason I never did. The more I think about the little piece (which I can still play), the more I am amazed at the sophistication of it. Did I really have that in me? I guess so! Nowadays, I am hearing little improvisations in my head because of the improvisations you do before and after each of your talks, and I will probably turn those into compositions at some point. In order to perform them as improvised, I need more playing skills. I am cogitating on the best way to do that.
It’s funny how young children can make up fascinating stories effortlessly! As we grow older, perhaps inhibitions take hold, and we become afraid to express ourselves freely. It’s the same with music.
The best way to expand your improvisation and composition, is to just do it! If you feel self-conscious, experiment when no one is around. The more you do it, the more comfortable you will become being creative.