Ongoing History Daily: Atonal music
Most of the music that’s been made has focused on combining notes into pleasant-sounding combinations and sequences. But there is something to be said for atonal and dissonant songs in music—which, counterintuitively, can also be rather pleasant in some ways.
Neuroscientists studying music and the brain have investigated why atonal music has the emotional effect it does. They found that people can still enjoy atonal sounds, especially if they’re used to making sad music. They also found that tonic music—the pleasant-sounding stuff—stimulated areas of the left frontal part of the brain (where positive emotional responses are created). In contrast, atonal sounds stimulate the right frontal areas (where we process negative stimuli).
This research may end up being used in music therapy to help treat ailments like depression.
