For the sake of accuracy, almost two years later, I was searching in the Forum for where I had already said that the perception of the direction of sounds is related to survival and I came across the above post.
In this post there is a careless error in the quoted sentence in which I obviously meant to say:
"as we don't know everything that concerns the brain..."
as is evident from the context too.
You were right and I didn't notice my oversight..
You could have pointed it out to me and I would have clarified it at that moment.
However, sorry for the mistake and for noticing it after so long. 👍
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Just for the record, I was searching in the Forum for where I had already said that the perception of the direction of sounds is related to survival after reading the following post this morning. 🙂
https://www.diyaudio.com/community/threads/amplifier-design-and-stereo-imaging.419041/post-7830598
https://www.diyaudio.com/community/threads/amplifier-design-and-stereo-imaging.419041/post-7830598
Why does music have such a hold on us?
A key shift in rhythm happened with the advent of rock and rap: the emphasis on the "backbeat" became dominant, reversing the rhythmic focus found in earlier styles. Let me break this down:
Summary: The shift to the backbeat was a defining rhythmic reversal in music history, marking the transition from traditional rhythmic structures to the modern, groove-centric sounds we know today. It's one of the reasons rock and rap felt so revolutionary—they flipped the "heartbeat" of music!
-Sorry, this is a rather long article on what happened after the invention of rock/rap music. Backbeat- the reversal of emphases changed the mood of music. This reversal (backbeat) is what causes the release of dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that makes you feel happy, it's what you feel after you've completed a big job and you step back and admire it, "Ah, wow, I actually did it!".
Well backbeat basically causes the release of the dopamine without your body "earning" it. Your body discovers that "Hey, this is an easy way to feel really happy!". So now it's like a drug addiction, your body always wants more, so it can feel happy, all the time.
This is majorly why music has such a strong hold on us.
A key shift in rhythm happened with the advent of rock and rap: the emphasis on the "backbeat" became dominant, reversing the rhythmic focus found in earlier styles. Let me break this down:
Before Rock/Rap:
- In pre-rock genres (swing, blues, jazz, etc.), the rhythm often emphasized the downbeat:
- The downbeat is the strong first beat of a measure (e.g., beats 1 and 3 in 4/4 time).
- Example: In swing or marches, the "oom-pah" rhythm places weight on the 1 and 3.
Rock and Roll Era:
- Rock introduced the "backbeat"as the core of its rhythm.
- The backbeat emphasizes beats 2 and 4 in 4/4 time.
- This was popularized by early rock-and-roll drummers (e.g., Earl Palmer) and became the heartbeat of the genre.
- Example: Chuck Berry's Johnny B. Goode or Elvis Presley's Hound Dog.
- Shifting the emphasis from the downbeat to the backbeat gave music a looser, more danceable feel.
- The backbeat also added an energetic "snap," making the music feel more rebellious and raw.
Rap and Hip-Hop:
- Rap took the backbeat further by incorporating syncopation, heavy bass kicks, and a distinct rhythmic "swing."
- Boom-bap beat:
- Kick drum on the downbeat (1 and 3).
- Snare hits hard on the backbeat (2 and 4).
- Example: Run-D.M.C.'s It's Tricky.
- Boom-bap beat:
- Trap beats (modern hip-hop):
- Evolved the rhythm with rapid-fire hi-hats and off-beat bass hits.
- Example: Future's Mask Off.
Current Trends:
- Many modern styles (e.g., EDM, pop, reggaeton) still revolve around the backbeatbut layer it with polyrhythms and syncopation.
- Example: In reggaeton, the "dembow" beat builds off the backbeat but syncopates kicks and snares for a complex groove.
Summary: The shift to the backbeat was a defining rhythmic reversal in music history, marking the transition from traditional rhythmic structures to the modern, groove-centric sounds we know today. It's one of the reasons rock and rap felt so revolutionary—they flipped the "heartbeat" of music!
-Sorry, this is a rather long article on what happened after the invention of rock/rap music. Backbeat- the reversal of emphases changed the mood of music. This reversal (backbeat) is what causes the release of dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that makes you feel happy, it's what you feel after you've completed a big job and you step back and admire it, "Ah, wow, I actually did it!".
Well backbeat basically causes the release of the dopamine without your body "earning" it. Your body discovers that "Hey, this is an easy way to feel really happy!". So now it's like a drug addiction, your body always wants more, so it can feel happy, all the time.
This is majorly why music has such a strong hold on us.
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that your body naturally creates, to reward you. It makes you feel happy. It gives you that feeling of success. It makes you feel like dancing. And it is stronger and more effective than any street drug you can get.
Dopamine is good in it's natural use, your body (as stated previously) rewards you with dopamine when you do something successful. When you complete a job or do something else successfully. But other things can also make your body release dopamine.
Backbeat music, screens, video games, "success" on social media, just to name a few. This explains a lot about our current generation. Kids now days sit around with their phone (screen time gives release of dopamine) listening to backbeat music like R'nR' (release of dopamine) using their social media (every time they get another like and follow the "success" causes release of dopamine) and playing video games (big shot of dopamine every 5 seconds) while their body is doing nothing to earn it or work it off. Then if you take their phone away for an hour you have a madman on your hands. Because they've gotten addicted to dopamine. Then you wonder why our work force is way too small, the answer is quite simple. When these kids discover that real life and work is hard and you don't get a dopamine shot every two seconds, they don't want to work.
This is also mostly why the new generation is so different than what previous generations have been.
The back beat in modern music also answers the question here.
-Thanks, Justin
Dopamine is good in it's natural use, your body (as stated previously) rewards you with dopamine when you do something successful. When you complete a job or do something else successfully. But other things can also make your body release dopamine.
Backbeat music, screens, video games, "success" on social media, just to name a few. This explains a lot about our current generation. Kids now days sit around with their phone (screen time gives release of dopamine) listening to backbeat music like R'nR' (release of dopamine) using their social media (every time they get another like and follow the "success" causes release of dopamine) and playing video games (big shot of dopamine every 5 seconds) while their body is doing nothing to earn it or work it off. Then if you take their phone away for an hour you have a madman on your hands. Because they've gotten addicted to dopamine. Then you wonder why our work force is way too small, the answer is quite simple. When these kids discover that real life and work is hard and you don't get a dopamine shot every two seconds, they don't want to work.
This is also mostly why the new generation is so different than what previous generations have been.
The back beat in modern music also answers the question here.
The backbeat in both cases is giving a release of dopamine. Thus the enthrallment in both cases is the same.
-Thanks, Justin
^The backbeat and dopamine stories seem grossly oversimplified to me.
A proper backbeat is more complicated than has been described. Also, there are many other subtleties of musical rhythm, ornamentation, and embellishment which add to produce a few different emotional states to various degrees in particular humans.
A good book to start understanding more about some of it:
https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262582780/sweet-anticipation/
https://www.amazon.com/Sweet-Anticipation-Psychology-Expectation-Bradford/dp/0262582783
Moreover, on the topic of dopamine the actual story is much more complicated. Its not to my knowledge exactly that dopamine is way more powerful than any drug. Seems like relationship is more to the effect that some drugs may elicit a dopamine response, and do so to a greater or lessor degree in different people and depending on other related factors such as concurrent emotional state.
A proper backbeat is more complicated than has been described. Also, there are many other subtleties of musical rhythm, ornamentation, and embellishment which add to produce a few different emotional states to various degrees in particular humans.
A good book to start understanding more about some of it:
https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262582780/sweet-anticipation/
https://www.amazon.com/Sweet-Anticipation-Psychology-Expectation-Bradford/dp/0262582783
Moreover, on the topic of dopamine the actual story is much more complicated. Its not to my knowledge exactly that dopamine is way more powerful than any drug. Seems like relationship is more to the effect that some drugs may elicit a dopamine response, and do so to a greater or lessor degree in different people and depending on other related factors such as concurrent emotional state.
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The CPU chip company's tag line used to be "we bring good things to life!". They forgot to mention the term. I think Australia has a good idea. Maybe more teens there will pick up a guitar, for something to do.