Waubonsee Community College

The psychology of music, John Booth Davies

eng

Includes bibliographical references (pages 219-234) and index

musicillustrations

index present

non fiction

The psychology of music

bibliography

4083151

John Booth Davies

Psychology and music : the role of the scientific study of music -- What is music? : the physics of musical sound -- The musical present : music, viewed as a series of events -- Events of the past : the critical role of things we have heard previously, in the perception of music -- What makes a tune? : why do different people prefer different kinds of music, and why do people's preferences change? -- Some further aspects of musical perception : is there something natural, or inevitable, about the way certain musical events are perceived? -- Musical ability and musical aptitude : the problem of definition. What makes a musical person? what is the difference between aptitude and ability? -- Problems of measurement : the problems of deciding what to measure, how to measure it, and why --Test material : pitch. A review of some approaches to the testing of pitch abilities, and suggestions for alternative ways -- Test material : memory for tonal sequences. A review of some approaches to the testing of tonal memory, and suggestions for alternative ways -- Consonance and dissonance : what is the relationship between consonance/dissonance and the pleasantness or unpleasantness of a chord? -- Rhythm : tonality's poor relation. The lack of rhythmic sophistication in Western music, relative to some other cultures -- Musicians and instruments : some speculations about the personality of musicians, and its relationship to particular instruments -- Postscript