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Geometric properties of musical scales constitute a representational primitive in melodic processing
Omri Raccah1,2, Michael Seltenreich3,4, Claire Pelofi2,5
1Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
Iscience
|December 9, 2025
Summary
Geometric structures in music scales significantly influence how we perceive melodies. These findings suggest universal geometric principles in auditory cognition, independent of cultural learning.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Science
- Music Cognition
- Psychoacoustics
Background:
- Understanding mental representations in symbolic domains is key.
- Music cognition offers a unique lens for symbolic representation research.
- Existing theories highlight scale geometry, but empirical evidence is limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of geometric structures in musical scales.
- To determine if geometric regularity influences perception of melodic deviations.
- To explore the universality of these geometric principles in music.
Main Methods:
- Conducted four experiments with 961 participants.
- Assessed perceptual sensitivity to out-of-scale notes in melodies.
- Tested responses across diverse and unfamiliar tuning systems.
Main Results:
- Specific geometric structures significantly modulated sensitivity to out-of-scale notes.
- Geometric regularity predicted sensitivity to note deviations across various musical structures.
- These effects were observed even in unfamiliar tuning systems, indicating cultural independence.
Conclusions:
- Scale geometry is a critical, time-invariant representation in melodic processing.
- Geometric properties, not just learned associations, shape musical perception.
- Findings reveal organizational principles potentially applicable across symbolic cognitive domains.
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