Music

Calculating the Emotional Power of a Song

Alan Cross 0 Comments

We all know that music can have a powerful effect on the way we feel.  There’s just something about certain songs that push our emotional buttons.  We get energized, happy, sad, nostaligic—a whole range of emotions. 

Now get this:  back in 2004, an Australian scientist named Emery Schubert announced that he had a set of mathematical formulae that predicted the emotional impact of any piece of music. 

The first variable to consider, he says, is volume.  That creates the biggest impact. Next is tempo.  The speed of the beat is also involved in the emotional impact. 

And there’s more.  Melodies that rise tend to make people feel good.  And the more instruments you use in a given song tends to make it happier. 

There are all kinds of equations that Schubert says can be applied, but let’s not take any more of the magic out of it, shall we?

Alan Cross

is an internationally known broadcaster, interviewer, writer, consultant, blogger and speaker. In his 40+ years in the music business, Alan has interviewed the biggest names in rock, from David Bowie and U2 to Pearl Jam and the Foo Fighters. He’s also known as a musicologist and documentarian through programs like The Ongoing History of New Music.

Alan Cross has 38061 posts and counting. See all posts by Alan Cross

Let us know what you think!

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.