What audio attribute brings out emotion in music?

Fiftyfifty

Fiftyfifty

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 11, 2016
Messages
1,105
Points
113
Location
Panaji, Goa
Is it decay? Is it dynamics? Is it my genes?

Take for example Trane's Naima - his intro followed by Wynton Kelly's brilliant solo. Does it make you cry? Do you hear the mischief in Ella and Louis when they sing 'Let's call the whole thing off"? And this mischief turn to love in the last stanza? The sense of resignation on The Beatles's Sexy Sadie? Mccartney on 'Ballroom Dancing'? Or take Asha Bhosle's renditions where she renders the 'aaaa' sound with the lips perhaps only half open (e.g. Aao Huzoor Aao)? Rafi's romance on 'Deewana Hua Badal'? Do you hear the violence on Stravinsky's 'Rite of Spring'?

If you do, then like me you may wonder what audio attribute results in conveying such emotion. You and I know that this emotion is often a consequence of the chords, the syncopation or the arrangement. But we also know that one audio setup conveys it while another far more resolving setup may not. So what is it? Any thoughts?

Cheers!
 
Last edited:
So I read this thread by you in the morning and enjoyed reading it but didnt have much to contribute. And then just now I was listening to the song "stars" the version by Nina Simone live at Montreux not Janis Ian.
An audience member catches the ire of Ms Simone and she very sternly tells her to "sit down girl". Man, I nearly stop whatever I am doing when i hear her say it with that authority and stone face..
I have watched the video multiple times. But today listening to it on spotify, I felt the emotion with which she sings this song and the whole time I am thinking nobody in the audience cough or sneeze and ruin it. Well, you can hear some coughing in the 21st row...As a fellow member has quoted famously something to the effect about how we audiophiles live to hear coughers in the audience. Bill Evans album comes to mind and yes, I pay attention to the clinking glasses and the coughing and chatter and the atmosphere.
But yes, I felt really connected to this performance today.
 
Last edited:
Not everyone is attuned to feeling the same level of emotion from music, various factors that go into shaping a person also shape their predisposition to be moved by music/sound and to what degree. If one is such then the same shaping also influences the arrangement/collection of sounds that will move them. In other words it's all psychology but if you have more details about the psychology that makes one more likely to be moved by music or the factors which cause certain sounds to influence them more than others then please do post.
 
Sushant Sharma said:
But yes, I felt really connected to this performance today
Click to expand...
Amazing isn't it Sushant! I haven't heard this particular album of Ninna Simone but we know she was a very serious musician and an activist. Anger, sorrow, frustration, all came naturally to her. As for Bill Evans, bringing out 'feeling' was his forte. Keith Jarret too, his moans only accentuating what he conveyed with his fingers
My greater amazement, however, was about
how different audio setups can vastly vary in bringing this emotion to the listener's ears
 
Fiftyfifty said:
My greater amazement, however, was about
how different audio setups can vastly vary in bringing this emotion to the listener's ears
Click to expand...
Yes Kishore, sorry, I did veer off on a tangent there. Haha.

I am not too keen on the science and psychology... on another day maybe but not today..there's so many things to dissect and understand, I will leave this one be. Too dear.
 
Decadent_Spectre said:
Not everyone is attuned to feeling the same level of emotion from music, various factors that go into shaping a person also shape their
Click to expand...
Very valid observations @Decadent_Spectre . But of course psychology impacts what you feel when you hear. That's not what i was asking in the thread though. I was talking about the same person with the same psychology hearing the same song on two setups and being emotionally moved by one, not necessarily more expensive, setup
 
Fiftyfifty said:
Very valid observations @Decadent_Spectre . But of course psychology impacts what you feel when you hear. That's not what i was asking in the thread though. I was talking about the same person with the same psychology hearing the same song on two setups and being emotionally moved by one, not necessarily more expensive, setup
Click to expand...

I spoke of this in the post where psychology dictates what collection of sounds we like (or flavor) just like it dictates what type of music we like. It is the same as our taste in food or why the same dish from two restaurants (one expensive and the other less so) might yield similar results. As to the expensive system not being preferable is a whole different topic as I don't believe expensive necessarily means better. It just might happen that the cheaper systems flavor aligns more with a given individual's psychology so there is an emotional connect. As a side note I have observed that systems that try to sound "perfect" or "beautiful" don't invoke emotion, at least for me.
 
Fiftyfifty said:
Is it decay? Is it dynamics? Is it my genes?

Take for example Trane's Naima - his intro followed by Wynton Kelly's brilliant solo. Does it make you cry? Do you hear the mischief in Ella and Louis when they sing 'Let's call the whole thing off"? And this mischief turn to love in the last stanza? The sense of resignation on The Beatles's Sexy Sadie? Mccartney on 'Ballroom Dancing'? Or take Asha Bhosle's renditions where she renders the 'aaaa' sound with the lips perhaps only half open (e.g. Aao Huzoor Aao)? Rafi's romance on 'Deewana Hua Badal'? Do you hear the violence on Stravinsky's 'Rite of Spring'?

If you do, then like me you may wonder what audio attribute results in conveying such emotion. You and I know that this emotion is often a consequence of the chords, the syncopation or the arrangement. But we also know that one audio setup conveys it while another far more resolving setup may not. So what is it? Any thoughts?

Cheers!
Click to expand...
@Decadent_Spectre has put it across very well.
For Eg I don't Get Easily Moved Emotionally with 'Phoren' Singers singing in English (Forget about Other Phoren Languages Which I Don't Understand), Very Few Phoren Singers Do Connect at Emotional Level, If they Do, I Cherish them With all my Might, Don't Leave Listening to Last Single Album of Theirs. For Some who click emotionally Like Nina Simone, Hans Thessink, Madeline, Diana, etc I'll always keep going back. Some Singers (who sing in Languages I don't understand) Like Mari Boine are equally preferred, No Logical Explaination here.

There's Genre Effect Closely Linked to Psychology Perhaps, Mine Being questioning the authority type of behavior, I Easily Connect with Most of the Rock Bands of 70s, 80s etc, Blues some Metal too. Soft Rock, Blues or Jazz depicting Political Satire are quite favorite too.

Lyrics Plays an Important Role in Emotional Connection, So average Tracks in Mother tongue almost always have an edge over other languages you speak or understand. Emotional Scenes that you associate with Some Tracks especially OSTs will forever be etched in your memory, Especially Some Gurudatt Songs are always close to heart no matter even if they're coming out of Crappy Car stereo with Poor Connection.

All Singers Can't Depict Emotions Equally too, it varies quite a lot between singers. also some Composers use background music more for conveying emotions than relying solely on Lead Singer, For Eg RDB, AR Rahman, Amith Trivedi etc

Coming to Audiophile Aspects of the System, its the whole SYNERGY that matters. In General I prefer Precise Bass, Meaty Tonality with Slightly Warmish Sound with Vocal Forward Signature. Overtly transparent systems may or may not always work, Perfection is the Enemy of the Emotional Appeal, slightly colored versions are usually preferred by me, and that goes in selection of gear as well.

Of Course the Company you're listening with, Your emotions at that hour will always have a bearing on the emotional appeal of the music.
 
Emotion is such a difficult think to define ! But your question got me thinking and incidentally was watching a Documentary in Nina Simone while reading the above.

Personally I can definitely talk of 2-3 occasions where a music moves me emotionally. Am sure there are many more
a) The music evokes a memory of an occasion where that piece of music played and important role personally
b) The lyrics are so touching that one gets involved in the song
c) something about the resolution of the voice/instruments just captivated you and draws you into the recording . it could the sound where the tongue sticks to the mouth of the artist or some other cue which just draws you into the situation...

In some cases the quality of the recording does matter..the texture/harmonics contribute the lot there, but in many cases its the instrument between the ears which brings that. and both of them together only enhances the experience !
 
To attempt to put a brake on all the rambling, let me attempt to simplify the OP's question:
Given a track and given multiple music systems, if the same track is played on those multiple systems, and if the playback of that track on some systems evoke emotion vs no emotion evoked when the same track is played on other systems; what according to you are the attributes in the emotion evoking music systems that bring about these emotions?
 
From all the attributes the rhythm of the music keeps by food tapping and involves me. Apart from that what Sushant describes faints sounds of claps and whispers transports me to my youth days.
 
I changed from Cambridge audio Axr 100 to schiit Aegir. After this change, I’m emotionally connected to Tamil songs involving S.P. Balasubramaniam, Hariharan and even K.J. Yesudass.
In my opinion, its the Class A magic that primarily stirred my emotions. Perhaps the even hormonics? Sweetness and body to the voice and instruments?
Also, the lyrics. It has a part too.
And I too agree with resolution at which the music is played. Too less or too much details rob the ability to stir emotions.
In my case, the center image for vocals give a different set of emotions. :)
Also, known songs when listened repeatedly can give you immense emotional connection. Western classical Symphonies, soft rock, rock etc shine more if we know the music byheart.
 
keith_correa said:
To attempt to put a brake on all the rambling, let me attempt to simplify the OP's question:
Click to expand...
So well articulated @keith_correa

I agree, apart from the 'psychology of the individual' as Jeeves would say, some setup specific attributes that result in the music accurately conveying the intended emotion could be:
1. Resolution (not too much to make it clinical and not too little too make it dull) Thanks @arj and @ajuvignesh
2. Harmonics
3. Dynamics (changes in volume can really add drama and emotion)
4. Treble should be heard but not harsh at any stage
5. Bass should have good foundation and drive the music where needed. Should be deep without being intrusive
6. Decay, particularly in the upper mids.

This is merely my humble attempt to list some attributes one should look for in an audio purchase. Obviously YMMV.
 
For me getting emotionally connected to music has nothing to do anything about the setup where the music is played. I can get emotionally connected to music played on my mobile phone speakers ( without headphones) too. Alternatively playing music on a high-end setup may not involve me emotionally.

I am not sure what attributes trigger the emotions in me - but am sure it's not the setup to do anything with it. Some singer like MS are emotionally charged when they sing a classical number.
 
drkrack said:
In General I prefer Precise Bass, Meaty Tonality with Slightly Warmish Sound with Vocal Forward Signature
Click to expand...
These are the lines along which I was framing my answer as well (except the vocal forward). I get the emotion only when the speaker produces enough bass (not the low frequency rumbles but bass in the voice* and mid register instruments) - in my case, when I place the speaker at a distance of one foot from the front wall. if I draw it further up, the clarity improves marginally, but the audio becomes thinner/etched and sounds sterile.

*- I think that’s because while a singer sings from both the throat and the chest/diaphragm. It’s the latter that is the emotional seat, and produces the bass component in the voice.
 
Last edited:
For me , its singer's voice texture and vocal clarity of singer and instruments, and slightly high frequency recessed. Once I am flown into music, the rest of attributes like soundstage, depth etc are locked in other part of mind, to which , brain even doesn't bother to process.
 
It’s always a question of how much body/tonal density, detail, and dynamics you are looking for.

This combination varies from person to person. So what floats your boat may not work for others. For example, many like Harbeth and Spendor. But these speakers don’t do anything for me. It’s probably because the attributes I am looking for is probably different. While Harbeth and Spendor do body/tonal density well, I find them lacking in detail and dynamics. But there are many for whom body/tonal density is a major factor in their musical enjoyment. I completely understand and respect this.

In general, modern systems veer more towards detail, separation and frequency extremes. Older ones veer more towards a richer mid bass and tonal density.

The most important thing in this hobby is understanding what you like.

Digital vs Analogue, Tubes vs SS, the answer is the same. It’s always the understanding of the mix of attributes that one is looking for that decides what equipment one owns.
 
Last edited:
It also depends on the person's mood and what songs you are listening at that moment which you tend to relate
Lyrics play an important as they relate to a certain emotion & also the manner in which the singer sings.

For purely instrumental tracks, the pace of the instrument playback or in what way it is played can create a mood. Imho violins have the ability to create melancholy. Accoustic guitars sound very soothing. Sitars can be played to sound happy( especially in Hindi movies) While fast paced electric guitars create a sense of energy. A flute can sound soothing or depict melancholy.
It is a very subjective topic since it deals with a person's psychology which differs from person to person.
 
Follow HiFiMART on Instagram
Follow HiFiMART on Instagram for offers, deals and FREE giveaways!
Back
Top