Music and Speech: How Culture Affects Tonality
Author Information
Author(s): Han Shui'er, Sundararajan Janani, Bowling Daniel Liu, Lake Jessica, Purves Dale
Primary Institution: Duke University
Hypothesis
The differences in pitch intervals in music and speech arise from a link between the tonal characteristics of a culture's music and its speech.
Conclusion
The study found that music and speech in tone language cultures exhibit more frequent changes in pitch direction and larger pitch intervals compared to non-tone language cultures.
Supporting Evidence
- Tone language cultures show more frequent changes in pitch direction in both music and speech.
- Larger pitch intervals are used more often in the music of tone language cultures.
- The study analyzed databases of speech and music from various cultures.
Takeaway
Different cultures have different ways of using pitch in music and speech, and this study shows that tone languages use more dramatic changes in pitch than non-tone languages.
Methodology
The study compared pitch intervals in music and speech from six cultures, analyzing melodic slope reversals and interval sizes.
Limitations
The study focused on a limited number of cultures and may not represent all musical traditions.
Participant Demographics
Participants included native speakers from three tone language cultures (Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese) and three non-tone language cultures (American, French, German).
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.001
Statistical Significance
p<0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
Want to read the original?
Access the complete publication on the publisher's website