Psychology of Music ─ From Sound to Significance

Why are some disturbances of air molecules heard as 'noise' while others are perceived as music?

What happens at the level of the sound wave, the ear, and the brain when we perform or listen to music?

How do musical abilities emerge and develop, and become refined as one acquires musical expertise?

And what gives music its deep emotional significance and its power to influence social behavior, across vastly different cultural contexts?

The only concise introduction to the subject, this thoroughly revised new edition of The Psychology of Music combines a comprehensive summary with critical assessments of existing research. The contents range from basic-level perception to broader socio-cultural issues, capturing the interdisciplinary breadth of the field while covering the central topics in depth.

Part One explores sound and music at an acoustic level, explaining auditory events with respect to the workings of the ear and brain. Part Two focuses on perception and cognition of melody, rhythm, and formal structure. Part Three examines the emergence and development of musical skills, and turns to the most practical aspects of psychology of music: music practice and performance. Finally, Part Four broadens the discussion to the question of meaning in music, with respect to its social, emotional, philosophical, and cultural significance.

For the new edition, the authors have expanded coverage to include non-classical forms of music, added more real-world connections, and included a new chapter on practical applications. Created with a new companion website, the text will be invaluable to students in the area and anyone else interested in the psychology of music.

Siu-Lan Tan is Associate Professor of Psychology at Kalamazoo College in Michigan USA.

Peter Pfordresher is Associate Professor of Psychology at SUNY Buffalo in New York USA.

Rom Harre is Emeritus Fellow of Linacre College, Oxford University. Currently he is Distinguished Research Professor of Psychology at Georgetown University, and Director of the Centre for the Philosophy of the Natural and Social Sciences at the London School of Economics.