New research challenges the traditional view of musical harmony as being determined by simple mathematical ratios between notes. Instead, the timbre of the notes, or the distinct sound produced by different instruments, plays a significant role in people’s preferred harmonies. This means that the recipe for a beautiful harmony is more nuanced and depends on the specific qualities of the instruments producing the sounds.
The study involved over 4,000 online participants from the U.S. who were asked to rate the pleasantness of chords containing notes with different timbres. Surprisingly, the participants seemed to prefer intervals that were slightly different from those traditionally tuned to simple frequency ratios. This suggests that the preference for certain harmonies is influenced by the interaction between notes and the resulting texture and resonance created by the timbre of the instruments.
When participants listened to chords containing notes modeled after a Javanese gamelan instrument called the bonang, they preferred intervals that did not align with Western ideals but were more in line with the slendro scale used in Javanese music. The timbre of the notes influenced people’s preferences for harmonies, showing a direct link between the qualities of the instrument and the perceived beauty of the musical interval.
The findings suggest that cultural and timbral influences play a crucial role in determining people’s tastes in harmony. Timbre has a significant impact on the perception of harmony, and this influence can be observed across different cultures. For example, the tuning and timbral qualities of gamelan instruments are deliberately adjusted to create a more aesthetically pleasing harmony when played together.
Future studies may explore how cultural background and exposure to different types of music influence people’s preferences for harmonies. By investigating how chords are perceived within the context of a larger musical piece or how they evoke different emotions, researchers can gain a better understanding of the complexity of human perception of harmony.
Overall, the study challenges the conventional view of musical harmony as being solely determined by mathematical ratios and highlights the importance of timbre in shaping people’s preferences for specific harmonies. This research opens up new possibilities for exploring the relationship between cultural background, instruments, and harmony perception in music.
