How do we perceive music?

When we listen to a melody, the brain tries to predict what will happen next. We love this process.
The more complex the music, the harder it is for the brain to predict the progression of the melody.
Sometimes it goes so far that you no longer feel where the melody that started it all is.
But if people manage to guess the motive, even in unpredictable jazz music, then at that moment very strong "tingles" can arise.
Also, we get the most pleasure from certain passages of the melody, and not from the entire composition.
Scientists explain it as follows: a few seconds before a favorite fragment of a familiar composition begins, the most dopamine, the hormone of happiness, is released
At the same time, "tingles" arise from music.
If you have observed this phenomenon in yourself, it may mean that you are living a healthy and happy life.
Scientists have researched that those who have experienced goosebumps at least once during a music festival consider themselves to be more "friendly" and "gentle" in relationships.
Additionally, 66% of people who experienced goosebumps said they felt good in their mood and physical well-being at the time, compared to 46% of those who did not experience goosebumps.
However, there are people who cannot feel "tingles" from music.

Why do we like different types of music?

First, not everyone likes music that is hard to predict.
That's why not everyone likes jazz.
Secondly, we think differently.
The British psychophysiologist Simon Baron-Cohen divided people into systematizers and empaths according to their ways of thinking.
The first tend to analyze.
Others can decipher emotions well.
Therefore, systematizing people usually like music in which you can trace regularities and a clear rhythmic pattern. This is, for example, rock.
– Empaths choose the exact opposite, –
They prefer lounge, jazz, ethnic music. This is music in which there is no clear rhythm.
Systematists also like to classify compositions by style.
Empaths perceive music holistically.
People who love jazz are known to be open to new experiences. They usually have either a musical education or experience listening to music because such music requires more thoughtful listening.

How does music affect us?

Music can affect brain activity.
- If we listen to fast music, the brain automatically picks up the rhythm and starts generating the same oscillations. This is always accompanied by an increase in activity, and a person goes into an excited state.
If a person listens to slow music, the opposite happens.
– The brain adjusts to slower rhythms, and we become calmer, –
Therefore, people who are constantly excited often like fast music because it supports their mood.
In general, the brain is looking for those types of stimulation that help it to be in a comfortable state.
Also, music can improve a mood or deepen a bad one.
A study published in the journal Consumer Research found that people prefer sad music when they are experiencing a deep interpersonal loss, such as a relationship breakup. The authors of this study hypothesized that sad music replaces lost relationships. They compared her to an empathetic friend – someone who truly understands what you're going through. Another study found that people who listened to positive music could improve their mood and increase their happiness levels in just two weeks.

And what kind of music do you prefer?