[Dixielandjazz] keys/timbre

[Edgerton, Paul A]

Bill Gunter wrote:
>"Sounds good" is the most subjective of evaluations and what
>"sounds good" to you may sound like s*** to me!

Music is the most subjective of experiences.  Ironically, music is
transmitted by sound, which is an objective physical phenomenon.  A 440
Hz sine wave at 65dB SPL is a very objective sound.  But it isn't music
at all.

We can be objective when we discuss sound (and the sensation aspect of
hearing) and such discussion might involve things like the neural
response to varying patterns of cochlear stimulation.

We veer into the realm of the subjective when we discuss music (and the
perception aspect of hearing) and such discussion might involve things
like one's emotional response to the choice of keys.

Let's look at it another way: even an unsophisticated listener can
immediate hear a difference when a melody is played in one key and then
transposed to another.  That's a universal, objective phenomenon.  The
cognitive effects of that key change may vary significantly between
individuals, I don't know of any substantive research on this topic --
the sheer size of it is daunting.

I think this goes part of the way to answering your question.  It does
account for Beverly's observation that C sounds "light" while Db sounds
"ponderous."  Others may use different language (C sounds "plain" and Db
sounds "resonant"), but it is important to note that many people do hear
a difference.  Is this because of a difference in the sound generating
apparatus, or because of the nature of the human auditory system -- or
is it purely a psychological phenomenon?  I don't think we have a
convincing answer to that.

-- Paul Edgerton