Lecture 3: Auditory Development and Music Cognition Flashcards
music cognition
The study of the abilities and processes required to engage with musical stimuli
what fields does music cognition encompass?
psychology, computer science, neuroscience, and music
3 reasons to use music to study auditory development
- it’s similar to language
- convenience
- evolution
music and language similarities
- Both music and language involve applying a set of rules and principles to organize and make sense of the auditory world
- Both music and language engage multiple regions and processes in the brain
- Musical and language abilities are correlated; we can learn about language by studying music and vice-versa
convenience of using music to study auditory development
- Learning about music is arguably more fascinating than learning about language
- Some people are experts in music, not language
evolution of music
- Music is innate: responses to music are present in utero
- Music is universal: music production exists in every society studied to date
- Music is adaptive: it fulfills multiple functions in society
main components of hearing
- outer ear
- middle ear
- inner ear
- central nervous system
outer ear
when something in the world moves or vibrates, it creates a wave that travels into the auditory canal
middle ear
Soundwaves cause the eardrum to vibrate triggering vibrations in three small bones
inner ear
soundwaves travel into the cochlea, where they are transduced into electrical signals
central nervous system and hearing
electrical signals travel along the auditory nerve, through the brainstem and into the primary auditory in the right and left temporal lobes
pitch
Describes our perception of the frequency of the wave
waves vs. frequency
The more waves, the higher the frequency
frequency vs. pitch
The higher the frequency, the higher the pitch
how is pitch measured?
in Hertz (Hz) or as notes on a scale
melody
A sequence of pitches that has some logical sense
what is melody comprised of?
Made up of intervals, so at least two pitches are required
contour
pattern of intervals going up and down
prosody
using melody in speech to convey meaning and emotion
what does melody have?
contour
beat
our perception of evenly spaced points in a sequence, sometimes felt as the “pulse”
tempo
Beats per minute (BPM)
rhythm
a full pattern of temporal intervals in a sequence
timbre
The tonal quality of a sound