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Why musical hierarchies?

Courtney B Hilton1,2, Rie Asano3, Cedric Boeckx4

  • 1Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA02138, USA. courtneyhilton@g.harvard.edu.

The Behavioral and Brain Sciences
|September 30, 2021
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Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Hierarchical structure in music, like tonality and meter, may not have evolved for credible signaling. Instead, this complexity likely arose as a byproduct of general cognitive mechanisms serving other functions.

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Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary biology
  • Cognitive science
  • Music cognition

Background:

  • Credible signaling may drive the evolution of complex communication signals.
  • The hierarchical structure observed in musical elements like tonality and meter requires explanation.
  • Existing theories often link signal complexity to honest signaling mechanisms.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the evolutionary origins of hierarchical structure in music.
  • To propose an alternative explanation for the development of tonality and meter.
  • To challenge the notion that credible signaling is the sole driver of musical complexity.

Main Methods:

  • Theoretical argumentation
  • Review of evolutionary and cognitive principles
  • Comparative analysis of signaling systems

Main Results:

  • Hierarchical structure in music is not necessarily a direct adaptation for credible signaling.
  • Domain-general cognitive mechanisms, evolved for non-signaling purposes, likely underlie musical hierarchy.
  • The complexity of tonality and meter may be an exaptation or byproduct.

Conclusions:

  • The evolution of musical hierarchy is better explained by byproduct theories than by direct selection for credible signaling.
  • Domain-general cognitive abilities provide a more parsimonious explanation for musical structure.
  • Future research should explore the specific cognitive mechanisms involved.