question to chase

Is any music universal?

A study of recordings from many cultures found features that recur, such as songs built from a small set of notes and from steady beats. Whether they come from the ear or from shared habits is argued. verify

Connects to

• The octave
• Pentatonic and diatonic
• Gamelan and ombak

Sources

1. Savage, P. E., Brown, S., Sakai, E., Currie, T. E. (2015). Statistical universals reveal the structures and functions of human music. PNAS 112(29), 8987–8992.