The document discusses similarities in how sadness and happiness are expressed in both speech and music. It argues that speech and music developed from primitive affect vocalizations used to express emotion. Research has found that in both speech and music, sadness is associated with lower pitches, smaller interval sizes, and softer dynamics, while happiness is associated with higher pitches, larger interval sizes, and louder dynamics. Specifically, a descending minor third interval is found to communicate sadness in both speech and Western music. However, cultural differences may exist that warrant further cross-cultural study.

1. Sadness
and
happiness
in
speech
and
music
Sara
Papst
&
Michaela
Neuhold
Implica(ons
If
music
and
speech
use
similar
elements
to
express
sadness
and
happiness,
that
can
explain
how
music
communicates
specific
emo<ons.
That
raises
the
ques<on
of
whether
the
findings
are
universal
or
confined
to
Western
culture.
Further
studies
should
focus
on
the
expression
of
sadness
and
happiness
in
music
and
speech
of
non-­‐Western
cultures.
References
Cur<s,
M.
E.
&
Bharucha,
J.
.J
(2010).
The
minor
third
communicates
sadness
in
speech,
mirroring
its
use
in
music.
Emo%on,
10(3),
335-­‐48.
Huron,
D.
(2008).
A
comparison
of
average
pitch
height
and
interval
size
in
major-­‐
and
minor-­‐key
themes:
Evidence
consistent
with
affect-­‐related
pitch
prosody.
Empirical
musicology
review,
3(2),
59-­‐63.
Scherer,
K.
(1995).
Expression
of
Emo<on
in
Voice
and
Music.
Journal
of
Voice,
9(3),
235-­‐248.
Turner,
B.,
&
Huron,
D.
(2008).
A
comparison
of
dynamics
in
major-­‐
and
minor-­‐key
works.
Empirical
Musicology
Review,
3(2),
64-­‐68.
Pictures
of
faces:
h_p://www.uni-­‐graz.at/en/pslg4wwwpslg4www_research/
pslg4www_projects/pslg4www_vi
suell_hun<ngton.htm,
(6.12.2010).
Seminar on Music Psychology, University of Graz, Austria, December 2010
Pitch
and
interval
sizes
in
major
and
minor
keys
(Huron,
2008)
Method:
The
average
pitch
and
interval
size
from
9.788
instrumental
themes
were
calculated
Results:
Both
average
pitch
and
average
interval
size
were
higher
for
major
keys
than
for
minor
keys.
Rela(onship
to
speech:
•
Lower
average
pitch
and
smaller
interval
sizes
are
also
observed
in
sad
speech.
SysMusGraz
Introduc(on
Speech
and
music
developed
from
primi<ve
affect
vocaliza<ons
such
as
“ai”
or
“oh”
that
expressed
emo<on
(Scherer,
1995).
The
func<on
of
expressing
emo<on
is
s<ll
important
in
speech
and
music.
In
every
language
people
talk
differently
when
they
are
happy
or
sad
and
it
is
possible
to
recognize
the
mood
just
by
hearing
the
voice
(Scherer,
1995).
In
music
we
have
the
two
modes
of
major
and
minor
keys,
which
seem
to
express
happiness
(major)
and
sadness
(minor).
Are
there
any
connec(ons
in
expressing
sadness
and
happiness
between
speech
and
music?
Our
thesis
In
music
and
speech,
interval
sizes,
pitches
and
dynamic
levels
are
used
in
a
similar
way
to
express
the
emo<ons
sadness
and
happiness.
Minor
third
expresses
sadness
in
music
and
speech
(Cur<s
&
Bharucha,
2010)
•
When
actors
said
“Let’s
go”,
“Okay”,
“Come
here”,
or
“Come
on”
in
a
sad
voice,
interval
measurements
from
one
syllable
to
the
next
showed
that
sadness
was
expressed
by
descending
minor
third
(-­‐300
cents)
and
minor
second
(-­‐100
cents)
à
See
Fig.
1
•
Par<cipants
listened
to
the
sad
spoken
phrases
and
rated
descending
minor
third
and
minor
second
as
sadness.
•
When
intervals
from
the
speech
samples
were
synthesized
as
musical
intervals
(piano
<mbre),
par<cipants
had
to
rate
the
degree
of
perceived
anger,
happiness,
pleasantness
and
sadness
and
rated
the
descending
minor
third
as
sadness
and
the
minor
second
as
anger
and
sadness.
BUT:
Descending
minor
thirds
also
appear
frequently
in
major
key
works
and
express
happiness,
e.g.
“cuckoo
mo<ve”.
Same
Origin:
Affect
Vocaliza<ons
Music
lari<es:
Sadness
is
expressed
by...
...a
descending
minor
third
...
a
lower
pitch
level
...
a
smaller
interval
size
Dynamics
in
major
and
minor
keys
(Turner
&
Huron,
2008)
Analyses
of
48
minor
and
major
pieces
showed
that
minor
key
works
have
a
lower
mean
dynamic
level
than
major
key
works.
Rela(onship
to
speech:
Forte
Piano
Fig.
1:
Sadness
was
expressed
by
an
interval
between
250
and
350
cents
downward
(minor
third).
(Cur%s
&
Bharucha,
2010)
Speech