London - It will strike a chord with anyone who is part of an orchestra or choir. For music, experts claim, plays a crucial role in social bonding – with unifying features appearing in styles from around the globe.
Far from being a way to express our individuality, the regular rhythm of music actually allows us to coordinate our actions with those around us, say researchers from the universities of Exeter and Tokyo.
And features such a strong beat appear in the majority of songs from across different world regions. “Our findings help explain why humans make music,” said Dr Thomas Currie, a lecturer in cultural evolution at Exeter. “They suggest that the main function of music is to bring people together and bond social groups.”
The study, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, looked at 304 recordings of stylistically diverse music. It revealed dozens of features that were common to most tunes, such as rhythm and pitch as well as social context.
Daily Mail