Is music the best way to relax?

[MysteriBoi]

Well iv'e read that there are several ways to release stress and relax but it's said that music has 50% chance of releaving stress amd relaxing, ofcourse mostly everyone loves music, listens to it mostly daily, but how does this work? i wanna know when you first hear the sound of what you like, what actually happens?

 

Any suggestions would be great

[Kaeroll]

edit- think I missed the point here. Disregard this.

[YT2095]

I`v moved this thread to Psychiatry and Psychology, you`ll get a better response, and I`m pretty sure Glider will know the answer to this.

[tomgwyther]

Music doesn't necessarily relax you, but it can change your mood.

It's more of a philosophical question though.

Consider this:

"For all the things we cannot express through words; we express through music."

 

As a professional musician myself, when I'm playing I feel as if the music is a conduit to the listeners mind. And vise-versa when I'm listening to music, I can tell exactly what the performer is/was thinking or feeling at the time.

 

The mark of a good writer or performer is to know exactly what sounds to make and when. One gets a sixth sense as to what combinations of notes, rhythm, polyphony and tambre will trigger certain emotional responses in the listener.

 

not a particularly scientific or academic answer I know, but it's rather difficult to explain in terms of auditory-cerebral function.

 

As well as being a professional musician for some 10-15 years, I've also been a 'free-lance' scientist for about the same time, I'm currently researching bi-hemispheric cognitive function via the corpus callosum. I'll integrate your question into my research and let you know the results.

 

p.s google my name if you want to have a listen to me

p.p.s I hope asking someone to look me up on the web doesn't contradict the rules of this forum, if it does, edit this post and slap my wrist. Thanks.

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Further to my recent post. I found this short essay which a wrote to a friend about a year ago on the very subject of your question.

happy reading...

 

In answer to our discusion about musical scales a few nights ago.

 

Music sounds nice because your brain is doing complex corolations between mutiple integers simultaniously.

Most notably expressed by Pythagorean theorum. *(Similar constructs are used when we see in 3D)

I came acroos this while reading this evening...

 

From a Rodger penrose study of Platonian maths relation to the physical world.

 

"This is the pure 'diatonic scale' in which the frequencies (in inverse proportion to the lengths of the vibrating elements) are the ratios 24:27:30:32:36:40:45:48, giving many instances of simple ratios, which underlie the harmonies that are pleaseing to the ear.

The 'white notes' of a modern piano are tuned (According to a compromise between Pythagorean purity of harmony and the facility of key changes) as approximations to these Pythagorean ratios, according to the equal teperament scale , with realtive frequencies 1:x2:x4:x5:x7:x9:x11, where x= 1.05946...

 

(Note 'x5 means the fifth power of X, i.e. 'x' times itself five times.

The quantity 1.05946... is the twelth root of 2 which is the number whos twelth power is 2

so that x12 = 2)

 

Note the nth power of a number is that number multiplied by itself n times.

Thus the third power of 5 is 125, the forth power of 3 is 81; etc.

 

 

basically, what this means is that when you hear a first and perfect fifth together for instance, you brian is aware of the precise ratio between each frequency and acknowledges its mathmatical perfection, your conscious brain (or mind) interperste this not as a nice sound, unaware that what you are actually hearing is somthing very different. Your conscious brain can also predict or imagine other ratios in this set i.e. you could imagine how the third of major seventh note should sound withou having to consciously do the maths.

(now you can maybe see why I have dificulty teaching five year olds!! This type of stuff goes around my brain throughout the day!)

 

 

*As for 3D images, our brain uses basic trigonometry to do that, we only experience the world as 3D in our minds because it's usefull to do so (If you want to drive a car, or make a jam sandwich or summut!)

i.e.. Your brain knows the distance 'x' between your eyes; it also the respective angles to x each eys is at when looking at somthing (Your hand 'c' infront of your face for example) Thus, by knowing distance x and angles a and b your brain can calculate point c and - more importantly - distances y or z.

[Mr Skeptic]

I've been kind of curious as to whether brainwaves are (slightly) changed to match the beat or rhythm of the music. I think that music, without words, can modify your mood in several ways, not just relax. Eg a military marching tune should not at all be relaxing.

[SkepticLance]

In terms of pure relaxation, the answer is - it depends....

 

In fact, everyone is different. For some people, music is the answer. For others, quite the reverse. Certain types of music leave me feeling very stressed. However, I am not musical.

 

I have found for myself that the best stress relieving exercise involves immersion in the sea. For some reason, I exit feeling like all my troubles have disappeared. But that is me.

 

So the answer is; whatever blows your hair back, brother.

[cameron marical]

So the answer is; whatever blows your hair back, brother.

 

just because you said that man, i have to tell you.

 

YOU ROCK!

[MysteriBoi]

Nice, now i get it.

 

Thanks mate!

[Moontanman]

The Music of Heart always does it for me, something about Ann Wilson's voice sooths the beast in me !

[MysteriBoi]

Lol nice.

 

Hey one more thing, is there anything else more that can relax you than music?

[Moontanman]

Well it wouldn't be proper to say on this forum but yes, there is something better than music but it can be enjoyed while listening to music, of any kind even Blues or Jazz...... But I enjoy as I said Heart the best.

[visceral]

It certainly relieves negative emotions, but doesn't necessarily relax you. Listening to metal for example always makes me feel better, but it's not relaxing, it can really get your adrenaline going.

 

If you specifically want to listen to music to relax, listen to something slow with a heavy bass resonance, like Massive Attack.

[Moontanman]

Massive Attack is cool, my son turned me on to them. Blue Oyster Cult is good for long slowly changing tracks that keep you drifting.

[visceral]

Blue Oyster Cult? Sounds cool. I must check them out.

[Moontanman]

"Don't Fear the Reaper" is probably their most famous song, lots of good stuff.

[visceral]

Cool, I'll check them out.

[MysteriBoi]

Lol ok.

[magi13]

Well iv'e read that there are several ways to release stress and relax but it's said that music has 50% chance of releaving stress amd relaxing, ofcourse mostly everyone loves music, listens to it mostly daily, but how does this work? i wanna know when you first hear the sound of what you like, what actually happens?

 

Any suggestions would be great

 

Like the previous posters before me there, different types of music affects each individual differently.

 

When I close my eyes and observe the sound of the music, I can feel my senses being manipulated according to the beat of the music. It makes you feel different emotions.

 

Take for example listening to techno and upbeat music, they liven up the self.

 

When one listens to soft, love songs, we recall lovely moments with our loved ones.

 

If you plan to relax, I recommend you do meditation and supplement it with a nice classical music by pachelbel or whatever you desire.

 

Feel free to pm me if you have questions.

[MysteriBoi]

Like the previous posters before me there, different types of music affects each individual differently.

 

When I close my eyes and observe the sound of the music, I can feel my senses being manipulated according to the beat of the music. It makes you feel different emotions.

 

Take for example listening to techno and upbeat music, they liven up the self.

 

When one listens to soft, love songs, we recall lovely moments with our loved ones.

 

If you plan to relax, I recommend you do meditation and supplement it with a nice classical music by pachelbel or whatever you desire.

 

Feel free to pm me if you have questions.

 

 

 

Great answer mate, exactly what i needed to understand how music works when you a relaxed with it, true as well what you are saying.

I got a question though if you listen to For example: Hard Rock/Metal, does that show your violent or something?

[Tsuyoiko]

In fact, everyone is different. For some people, music is the answer. For others, quite the reverse. Certain types of music leave me feeling very stressed. However, I am not musical.

 

I'm like this. Most music stresses me to point where I have to leave public places where it's playing. The best stress relief for me is reading a good book in complete silence, or building my character's stats in an RPG. The sense of achievement I get from seeing those numbers increase is really relaxing for me.

[Moontanman]

That's the problem! If you are listening to the stuff they play in public places! I would go mad if made to listen to that stuff longer than 30 minutes.

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I got a question though if you listen to For example: Hard Rock/Metal, does that show your violent or something?

 

I don't think so, it doesn't me. I like music that is somewhere between real heavy metal and softer style rock. i like a lot of the ballads sung by the heavy metal guys and gals, Heart, Scorpions, Led Zeppelin, ELO, Dire Straits, Kansas, Eagles, Little River Band, The Fabulous Thunderbirds. I know, I'm an old guy but I like a lot of the new stuff too, my son makes CD's for me and I usually don't know who the music is being played by. A good strong song can leave you feeling vitalized and refreshed, a slow ballad can leave feeling good as well. Of course there are other schools of thought and other music, at least I heard there was some other stuff some people enjoy and they call it music>

[wade.daniel.w]

Music seems to definitely have the ability to effect emotions, with this in mind I believe that yes music at the right frequencies for the individual can trigger chemicals to be released (peptides), changing your mood, not only do I believe sound can be used to relax but also if applied correctly can be used for therapeutic purposes, such as assistance in alleviating anxiety, depression, any emotional condition that can be reversed with the introduction of the correct peptide. Just a theory, but if this is the case I would believe it to be much safer than taking medication.

[A Childs Mind]

It all depends on wut you lisstin to. Like listining to hard core scremo hevymetal wont relly calm you down i perfer the soft forms of trance. and some clasical music