Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Listening to songs can cause a physiological response known as “frisson”

bigthink.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

41–50 of 156 posts

Re: Listening to songs can cause a physiological response known as “frisson”

#41

Post by revorad »

nostrademons wrote: post #22

“Expectancy violations (e.g., harmonic, rhythmic, and/or melodic violations) are strongly correlated to the onset of musical frisson, such that some level of violated expectation may be a prerequisite.” Interesting. The Spotify playlist didn't do much for me, but when I think of a couple moments in songs that always give me chills, they all feature that pattern: Nightwish, Ghost Love Score , Wacken 2013 @ 9:22, affec…

One of my favourites is Symptom of the universe by Black Sabbath.

It's a classic Sabbath style tune with a hard hitting riff, solid drums, vocals and all that. The song seems to be winding down after the 4 minute mark with a standard fade out.

But then something magical starts at 4:23.

Gives me the chills every single time.

https://youtu.be/4qDYa2aIBxw

Re: Listening to songs can cause a physiological response known as “frisson”

#43

Post by iforgotpassword »

ruuda wrote: post #39

If it's due to anticipation and violated expectations, how come the same song can still give you goosebumps even after you know it very well?

Because you still have the same expectations about how music should be structured the second time you listen to it. But the effect wears off after some time. Try playing it 20 times on repeat. It won't do it anymore. But that's mostly temporary, if you come back to it after a while it should work again.

Re: Listening to songs can cause a physiological response known as “frisson”

#44

Post by blenderdt »

I found the explanation of the article very weak.

In my own experience it is caused by an 'overload' of emotions. When I had a burnout the same thing happened, but much faster. After reading into it I came to the conclusion that it must be a disorder in hormones.

So after reading this article I wonder if a frisson is in fact an 'overload' of hormones caused by a huge amount of emotions. And that this causes a mismatch between your emotions and what you are feeling.

Re: Listening to songs can cause a physiological response known as “frisson”

#46

Post by yrcyrc »

Previously reading on this topic and found out only a small percentage of people feel music emotionally. I was very curious, as my experiences are very intense, from frisson to full blown breakdown, chills, crying and overwhelmed completely.

Was recently 'diagnosed' as gifted but there's no explanation as to why I feel music so intensely. Perhaps part of the whole thing, I became an autodidact musician and music is pure bliss to my ears.

Re: Listening to songs can cause a physiological response known as “frisson”

#47

Post by jcims »

nostrademons wrote: post #22

“Expectancy violations (e.g., harmonic, rhythmic, and/or melodic violations) are strongly correlated to the onset of musical frisson, such that some level of violated expectation may be a prerequisite.” Interesting. The Spotify playlist didn't do much for me, but when I think of a couple moments in songs that always give me chills, they all feature that pattern: Nightwish, Ghost Love Score , Wacken 2013 @ 9:22, affec…

Intro to Money for nothing gets me every time. When the chaos resolves to that crunchy riff i get chills. You need to listen to it where the drums are actually hitting you though.

Re: Listening to songs can cause a physiological response known as “frisson”

#48

Post by nonrandomstring »

I briefly mention this phenomenon in Designing Sound [1], and have since learned there are several forms of it elicited aurally.

As well as the pleasurable goose-bumps associated with positive musical emotion there's another kind, an 'uneasy' frission that is the feeling of hairs on the back of your neck raising.

While the "Wilhelm scream" is the most talked about sound design cliche, probably the one familiar to most of you will actually be the "doom tone" (60-100Hz noise bands), a signifier of "space", "evil" etc - think of Vader's "force choke".

It's a great example of a fear response that is hard-wired, because it represents danger, avalanche, thunder, earthquake or stampeding animals. We have deep auditory circuit, and evolutionary advantage to run away.

The other kind of frission stimulated by very high buzzing seems more mysterious. I discussed with sound designer prof. Mark Grimshaw, who amongst other things is an expert on the horror/suspense genre [2], as to why some screeching (bat-like) or buzzing sounds might give us such creepy feelings. It turns out the sound of mosquitos causes the hairs on the neck to stand up - likely a defence against being bitten when we were much hairier creatures.

Still mysterious, I think, is the reason nails on a blackboard "hurts your teeth", and the exact mechanism and function of pleasurable frission is still a mystery as far as I know. I suspect it may have a social signalling utility, much like blushing. In times when we were much more attuned to each others' body states there could be an evolutionary advantage to signalling when we feel good about something.

[1] https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/designing-sound

[2] https://sonicfield.org/sonic-virtuality-sound-as-emergent/

Re: Listening to songs can cause a physiological response known as “frisson”

#49

Post by heleninboodler »

jcims wrote: post #47
nostrademons wrote: post #22

“Expectancy violations (e.g., harmonic, rhythmic, and/or melodic violations) are strongly correlated to the onset of musical frisson, such that some level of violated expectation may be a prerequisite.” Interesting. The Spotify playlist didn't do much for me, but when I think of a couple moments in songs that always give me chills, they all feature that pattern: Nightwish, Ghost Love Score , Wacken 2013 @ 9:22, affec…

Intro to Money for nothing gets me every time. When the chaos resolves to that crunchy riff i get chills. You need to listen to it where the drums are actually hitting you though.

If you like that, I suspect you'd enjoy Breaking Into Heaven[1] by The Stone Roses. It is a much longer walk (as in a few minutes long), but I highly recommend sitting through the chaos until it resolves, as you say.

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nu5YLoaxHc

Re: Listening to songs can cause a physiological response known as “frisson”

#50

Post by tomcam »

Doctor_Fegg wrote: post #31
nostrademons wrote: post #22

“Expectancy violations (e.g., harmonic, rhythmic, and/or melodic violations) are strongly correlated to the onset of musical frisson, such that some level of violated expectation may be a prerequisite.” Interesting. The Spotify playlist didn't do much for me, but when I think of a couple moments in songs that always give me chills, they all feature that pattern: Nightwish, Ghost Love Score , Wacken 2013 @ 9:22, affec…

And the greatest frisson moment in the whole of Anglican choral music: the Nunc Dimittis from Herbert Howells' Gloucester Service. Start listening at the beginning of the Gloria (well, listen to the whole thing if you can, but if you're pushed for time start here): https://youtu.be/4jmxJa4kMGM?t=131 The famous frisson moment in this recording is at 2m57: "as it was". Three reasons. One is the shifting chords in the o…

That was electric. Thank you. I have also had a few of those experiences singing and some old Benjamin Britten masses.
Post reply on HN