Sound-color cross-modal correspondences in the Chinese pentatonic modes played on traditional instruments

Sound-color cross-modal correspondences have been widely studied across different cultures and age groups. However, few studies have explored these associations using the Chinese pentatonic modes or adolescent participants. Due to the cultural and developmental nature of cross-modal correspondences, this gap limits the use of cross-modal strategies in Chinese music education. The present study tested 117 Chinese secondary school students (N = 117, Ma = 14.2) from three schools. Using two matching tasks, this study examined the associations between five Chinese modes (Gong, Shang, Jue, Zhi, Yu), three instrumental timbres (dizi, guzheng, erhu), and the Berkeley Color Project (BCP) colors. The results showed that, in terms of hue, Gong, Jue, Zhi, and Yu were linked to red, green, yellow, and blue, respectively. In lightness and saturation, Gong mode was matched with bright and saturated colors, while Yu mode was linked to dark and less saturated colors. These patterns formed the red-blue contrast between Gong and Yu modes, which differs from the red-green or yellow-blue contrasts found in the major and minor systems. In addition, instrumental timbre had a strong effect on perceived brightness: dizi was matched with the brightest colors, guzheng with medium brightness, and erhu with the darkest colors. This ranking was consistent with the spectral centroid values of each instrument. This study provides systematic evidence of sound-color correspondences for the Chinese pentatonic modes in adolescents. The findings offer a foundation for designing multisensory teaching tools in Chinese music education.