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Timbral effects on consonance disentangle psychoacoustic mechanisms and suggest perceptual origins for musical scales

Author

Listed:
  • Raja Marjieh

    (Princeton University
    Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics)

  • Peter M. C. Harrison

    (Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics
    University of Cambridge)

  • Harin Lee

    (Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics
    Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences)

  • Fotini Deligiannaki

    (Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics
    German Aerospace Center (DLR), Institute for AI Safety and Security)

  • Nori Jacoby

    (Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics)

Abstract

The phenomenon of musical consonance is an essential feature in diverse musical styles. The traditional belief, supported by centuries of Western music theory and psychological studies, is that consonance derives from simple (harmonic) frequency ratios between tones and is insensitive to timbre. Here we show through five large-scale behavioral studies, comprising 235,440 human judgments from US and South Korean populations, that harmonic consonance preferences can be reshaped by timbral manipulations, even as far as to induce preferences for inharmonic intervals. We show how such effects may suggest perceptual origins for diverse scale systems ranging from the gamelan’s slendro scale to the tuning of Western mean-tone and equal-tempered scales. Through computational modeling we show that these timbral manipulations dissociate competing psychoacoustic mechanisms underlying consonance, and we derive an updated computational model combining liking of harmonicity, disliking of fast beats (roughness), and liking of slow beats. Altogether, this work showcases how large-scale behavioral experiments can inform classical questions in auditory perception.

Suggested Citation

  • Raja Marjieh & Peter M. C. Harrison & Harin Lee & Fotini Deligiannaki & Nori Jacoby, 2024. "Timbral effects on consonance disentangle psychoacoustic mechanisms and suggest perceptual origins for musical scales," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-22, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:15:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-024-45812-z
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45812-z
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Malinda J. McPherson & Sophia E. Dolan & Alex Durango & Tomas Ossandon & Joaquín Valdés & Eduardo A. Undurraga & Nori Jacoby & Ricardo A. Godoy & Josh H. McDermott, 2020. "Perceptual fusion of musical notes by native Amazonians suggests universal representations of musical intervals," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 11(1), pages 1-14, December.
    2. Eline Adrianne Smit & Andrew J Milne & Roger T Dean & Gabrielle Weidemann, 2019. "Perception of affect in unfamiliar musical chords," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(6), pages 1-28, June.
    3. Josh H. McDermott & Alan F. Schultz & Eduardo A. Undurraga & Ricardo A. Godoy, 2016. "Indifference to dissonance in native Amazonians reveals cultural variation in music perception," Nature, Nature, vol. 535(7613), pages 547-550, July.
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