Abstract
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | Music Perception |
| Volume | 35 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| Pages (from-to) | 315-331 |
| Number of pages | 17 |
| ISSN | 0730-7829 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Feb 2018 |
| MoE publication type | A1 Journal article-refereed |
Fields of Science
- chord
- musicians
- distortion
- harmony
- cortical auditory processing
- HUMAN AUDITORY-CORTEX
- MISMATCH NEGATIVITY MMN
- BRAIN RESPONSES
- SOUND DURATION
- DISCRIMINATION
- HUMANS
- ADDITIVITY
- MEMORY
- PITCH
- DISTRACTION
- 515 Psychology
- 6162 Cognitive science
- 516 Educational sciences
Cite this
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Distortion and Western music chord processing : an ERP study of musicians and nonmusicians. / Virtala, Paula; Huotilainen, Minna; Lilja, Esa; Ojala, Juha; Tervaniemi, Mari.
In: Music Perception, Vol. 35, No. 3, 02.2018, p. 315-331.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review
TY - JOUR
T1 - Distortion and Western music chord processing
T2 - an ERP study of musicians and nonmusicians
AU - Virtala, Paula
AU - Huotilainen, Minna
AU - Lilja, Esa
AU - Ojala, Juha
AU - Tervaniemi, Mari
PY - 2018/2
Y1 - 2018/2
N2 - GUITAR DISTORTION USED IN ROCK MUSIC MODIFIES a chord so that new frequencies appear in its harmonic structure. A distorted dyad (power chord) has a special role in heavy metal music due to its harmonics that create a major third interval, making it similar to amajor chord. We investigated how distortion affects cortical auditory processing of chords in musicians and nonmusicians. Electric guitar chords with or without distortion and with or without the interval of the major third (i.e., triads or dyads) were presented in an oddball design where one of them served as a repeating standard stimulus and others served as occasional deviants. This enabled the recording of event-related potentials (ERPs) of the electroencephalogram (EEG) related to deviance processing (the mismatch negativity MMN and the attention-related P3a component) in an ignore condition. MMN and P3a responses were elicited in most paradigms. Distorted chords in a non-distorted context only elicited early P3a responses. However, the power chord did not demonstrate a special role in the level of the ERPs. Earlier and larger MMN and P3a responses were elicited when distortion was modified compared to when only harmony (triad vs. dyad) was modified between standards and deviants. The MMN responses were largest when distortion and harmony deviated simultaneously. Musicians demonstrated larger P3a responses than nonmusicians. The results suggest mostly independent cortical auditory processing of distortion and harmony in Western individuals, and facilitated chord change processing in musicians compared to nonmusicians. While distortion has been used in heavy rock music for decades, this study is among the first ones to shed light on its cortical basis.
AB - GUITAR DISTORTION USED IN ROCK MUSIC MODIFIES a chord so that new frequencies appear in its harmonic structure. A distorted dyad (power chord) has a special role in heavy metal music due to its harmonics that create a major third interval, making it similar to amajor chord. We investigated how distortion affects cortical auditory processing of chords in musicians and nonmusicians. Electric guitar chords with or without distortion and with or without the interval of the major third (i.e., triads or dyads) were presented in an oddball design where one of them served as a repeating standard stimulus and others served as occasional deviants. This enabled the recording of event-related potentials (ERPs) of the electroencephalogram (EEG) related to deviance processing (the mismatch negativity MMN and the attention-related P3a component) in an ignore condition. MMN and P3a responses were elicited in most paradigms. Distorted chords in a non-distorted context only elicited early P3a responses. However, the power chord did not demonstrate a special role in the level of the ERPs. Earlier and larger MMN and P3a responses were elicited when distortion was modified compared to when only harmony (triad vs. dyad) was modified between standards and deviants. The MMN responses were largest when distortion and harmony deviated simultaneously. Musicians demonstrated larger P3a responses than nonmusicians. The results suggest mostly independent cortical auditory processing of distortion and harmony in Western individuals, and facilitated chord change processing in musicians compared to nonmusicians. While distortion has been used in heavy rock music for decades, this study is among the first ones to shed light on its cortical basis.
KW - chord
KW - musicians
KW - distortion
KW - harmony
KW - cortical auditory processing
KW - HUMAN AUDITORY-CORTEX
KW - MISMATCH NEGATIVITY MMN
KW - BRAIN RESPONSES
KW - SOUND DURATION
KW - DISCRIMINATION
KW - HUMANS
KW - ADDITIVITY
KW - MEMORY
KW - PITCH
KW - DISTRACTION
KW - 515 Psychology
KW - 6162 Cognitive science
KW - 516 Educational sciences
U2 - 10.1525/mp.2018.35.3.315
DO - 10.1525/mp.2018.35.3.315
M3 - Article
VL - 35
SP - 315
EP - 331
JO - Music Perception
JF - Music Perception
SN - 0730-7829
IS - 3
ER -