Why do humans like jazz? (evolution of music, entropy, and physics of neurons)

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  • Опубліковано 14 тра 2024
  • Why do humans make and listen to music, despite it not having any obvious benefits? Why do some people listen to jazz, despite it sounding bad?
    In this video, we investigate human evolution, the physics of neurons, information theory, and thermodynamics to find the answer.
    Become a Patreon member: / physicsforthebirds
    0:00 Intro
    1:35 Reasons for a sense of rhythm
    5:34 Basics of harmony
    6:30 The auditory system and neurons
    8:45 Solving the neuron equation for chords
    12:09 Intro to information entropy
    14:48 Entropy and jazz, conclusion
    Thank you to Caleb Birtwistle for captioning!
    Darwin on music: The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex
    Pinker on music: hampshirehigh.com/exchange2012... (534)
    Bipedal Theory: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...
    Ewe drumming: www.richardhodges.com/ladzekp...
    Auditory neuron physics: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20481...
    Auditory neuron entropy: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21981...
    George Garzone: • George Garzone Master ... (2:58)

КОМЕНТАРІ • 1,1 тис.

  • @spinnis
    @spinnis Рік тому +3509

    As someone who also plays and listens to jazz, I and many of my friends have experienced this relevant phenomenon: You get more and more desensitized to harmonic dissonance and want more of it. You start out liking simpler voicings with less extensions, and end up loving the sound of a C13(b9 #11). This probably goes hand in hand with the fact that you learn to hear standard jazz harmony, you recognize the patterns and progressions. It's not necessarily the case that you end up desensitized to dissonance in general, but you learn to decode the particular dissonances of the tradition, and understand them as part of something larger - Although I have on more than one occasion joked around with friends by blindly pressing keys on the piano to test the hypothesis that anything is a cool voicing. The same can be said of melody. For the layman, complex bebop phrases are too complex to be meaningful, but once you recognize hundreds of common fragments and licks, as well as hearing the progressions and probably knowing the standard, you aren't hearing 1000 pieces of information, you're hearing 20 larger pieces of information, so it becomes meaningful.

    • @wiwaxiasilver827
      @wiwaxiasilver827 Рік тому +32

      Yum

    • @adrianaslund8605
      @adrianaslund8605 Рік тому +107

      To me harmonic dissonance invokes feelings. Music should be used to represent the world. And the world is not always harmonious. In the case of the death metal band Gorguts. Which I recommend particularly the Colored Sands album. The dissonance makes it feel surreal because of how extremely well organized it is. Like some sort of completely otherworldly musical architecture. Like a beautiful but hostile alien planet.

    • @miles6524
      @miles6524 Рік тому +14

      @@adrianaslund8605 gorguts is insane but Imperial Triumphant would be best for a person who likes jazz to get into the dissonant side of metal

    • @eriktippie978
      @eriktippie978 Рік тому +14

      @@miles6524 imperial triumphants drummer is an absolutely ridiculous virtuoso. I imagine if I wasn't a drummer I would hear his playing as being chaotic and wild but its really ridiculously micro organized and easly the most percise and intricate part of their music.

    • @Ewr42
      @Ewr42 Рік тому

      @@eriktippie978 Idk what yall are Talking about But i like clowncore
      Their albums “van” and “toilet” are unironically the best musical experiences i’ve had, right above listening to aerosmith’s sweet emotion for the first time peaking on my first joint.
      I find it Genius the way in which they shat on the piano, then played the most mindblowing sax solo ever
      Even the parallel-parking dickpicking bass solo, the driver made it into a beautiful performance, genuinely musically enjoyable, somehow.
      I also like dj beck & domi, it’s like multidimentional music, feels synesthesic
      Also Jacob collier(i think that’s his name, i heard he’s the clowncore drummer as well and somehow involved in KNOWER as well)
      If i know more jazz i can’t remember.
      Feels like i jumped through a window into jazz territory, But i like it
      Anyway, anyone could give out the Classic jazz songs, But what are *your* favorite performances/pieces? What solo do you think is the quintessential solo?
      Considering what i’ve said about myself, What would you yourself want to make me listen to?
      Something weird, exquisite, in any way you find interesting. Not even good or bad, But something undeniably brilliant in your judgment
      Just not something that requires basic knowledge of music theory to understand Why people that understand it like it
      i play the guitar But havent got a clue about the diference between major and minor Keys beyond the feeling it evokes. I know 1 pentatonic scale and the rest is muscle memory, improvisation, just vibes, really
      I want music to feel it, not to think about its musical logic
      anyway, jazz reccomendations plz?(anyone reading this too, please feel free to send whatever it is you like)
      And Sorry to bother, feel free to ignore me completely and go on with your conversation that i won’t even pretend to be interested in, just Why not bring it up right here where some jazz enthusiasts seem to be hanging out today, right?

  • @guard13007
    @guard13007 Рік тому +177

    The part of this that blew my mind most was describing how our ears basically have a physical Fourier transform in them.

    • @SuperMrMuh
      @SuperMrMuh Рік тому +22

      You know that your eyes do a Fourier transform as well (they have lenses)

    • @ehtikhet
      @ehtikhet 6 місяців тому +1

      I like the way that the noise floor is vital to understanding a signal. 🤯

  • @NazarTimofeyev
    @NazarTimofeyev Рік тому +904

    Great video, bird. Another important factor that was not mentioned is that our love for music is tied to our love for recognizing patterns. In order for the activity to be rewarding the patterns need to become more complicated over time. After all, 10x10 puzzles are a head scratcher for babies. So it's natural for people with more musical experience to enjoy more elaborate and ambiguous harmonies.

    • @physicsforthebirds
      @physicsforthebirds  Рік тому +186

      I absolutely agree. Patterns and abstraction are central to the way we learn; that's why physicists like beautiful equations too

    • @TachyBunker
      @TachyBunker Рік тому +27

      I mean, low entropy is literally about patterns.
      One factor though that'd be interesting to see is a more psychological or emotion perspective of it all. I've alwayd thought that we like music for the patterns, but also becaude they relate to stories, which can help in surviving in the hunter-gatherer time. Listening to stories, learning about the world remotely, often by imagination, and music aids the imagination a lot.

    • @joshmastiff1128
      @joshmastiff1128 Рік тому +2

      @@TachyBunker wouldn't that give the complete story!

    • @axelmarora6743
      @axelmarora6743 Рік тому +27

      ​@netunof Not sad at all, different strokes for different folks. Some are into visual arts more than musical arts, others still are interested in other facets of life. It would be absurd if all were music connoisseurs, it's just one part of life.

    • @runningsandwich
      @runningsandwich Рік тому +5

      @@TachyBunker stories are patterns we find in life

  • @testtesttest968
    @testtesttest968 Рік тому +1592

    Good Video. It was well organized and high in entropy.

    • @diribigal
      @diribigal Рік тому +208

      If it was well organized, wouldn't it be low in entropy?

    • @physicsforthebirds
      @physicsforthebirds  Рік тому +345

      @@diribigal I have to agree with you there. But hopefully the video is more informative than random noise!

    • @derenjoy3r
      @derenjoy3r Рік тому +19

      @@diribigal prob exactly the joke mate

    • @WarDimensionOfficial
      @WarDimensionOfficial Рік тому +47

      @@diribigal It contains high enough entropy to be informative, and low enough entropy to be well organized and not just random nonsense...

    • @leif1075
      @leif1075 Рік тому +2

      @@WarDimensionOfficial you mean vice versa right..low enough entropy to be informative etc. Right.

  • @pedronobre3898
    @pedronobre3898 Рік тому +1769

    Man, this is really one of the most interesting physics video i have ever seen, yet it is so simple. It actually got me interested the same way a Veritasium or a Kurzgesagt video would, just being composed of your drawings and the script. You deserve serious recognition.

  • @robbes7rh
    @robbes7rh Рік тому +291

    It’s rare to to get a video on my Home Screen that takes a stab at addressing such a fundamental question about music. The point you make about Ewe drumming and jazz has validity and is insightful. I sense something similar about abstract art and the appeal it has for wealthy people who live sanitized and orderly lives amidst pristine surroundings. Wild entropy contained within a 2 dimensional rectangular frame on their pristine white wall adds a stimulating and digestible bit of visual contrast they can accept without being overwhelmed. I love the fact our inner ear does Fourier transforms so we may interpret harmony. The ear mechanism has amazing abilities which you touched on in this video. Nice work.

    • @physicsforthebirds
      @physicsforthebirds  Рік тому +27

      That's an interesting point, I like that. Thanks for giving the video some thought!

    • @SamueleCastiglioni
      @SamueleCastiglioni Рік тому +3

      that's a very common interpretation of art... that as catharsis. your interpretation reminds me of a mix of Adorno and Gasset

    • @danibot3000
      @danibot3000 Рік тому +1

      Thank you for typing that idea out :)

    • @druhseenuh
      @druhseenuh Рік тому

      huh, i've never thought of abstract art (in the hands of rich ppl) in that way.
      contrast and catharsis.

    • @bygmesterfinnegan6938
      @bygmesterfinnegan6938 Рік тому

      ​@@SamueleCastiglioni adorno HATED jazz

  • @dolphindrawings9331
    @dolphindrawings9331 Рік тому +291

    The main takeaway I have from this video is that apparently a lot of people consider jazz an acquired taste

    • @whatilearnttoday5295
      @whatilearnttoday5295 Рік тому +21

      Apparently. So he says.

    • @jeffersonclippership2588
      @jeffersonclippership2588 Рік тому +23

      That's more true of some kinds of jazz than others

    • @heretible
      @heretible Рік тому +16

      Yeah I have no idea where this claim is coming from

    • @MnemonicHeadTrip
      @MnemonicHeadTrip Рік тому +9

      I don’t really understand that either. I suppose some people won’t go out of their way to listen to jazz but jazz isn’t that offensive to listen to, most people can see the appeal

    • @hay5813
      @hay5813 Рік тому

      @@MnemonicHeadTrip If we're going anecdotal anyway, I'd have to disagree. Most acquaintances I've heard comment on jazz, would rather it be turned off or changed.

  • @badguy562
    @badguy562 Рік тому +105

    I love the way how you animate the birds. They look so pretty. I am glad that yt sent me to your channel. And your voice is so calming.

  • @bedroomguitarist2988
    @bedroomguitarist2988 Рік тому +138

    As a jazz musician and Science Student this video was made for me, keep up the great content, I love to see the application of scientific knowledge to everyday topics.

    • @atomictraveller
      @atomictraveller Рік тому

      can't be a musician and a scientist. musicians have to be epistemologists in order to music. how the hell are you going to jazz music when your head is full of being right about things.

    • @homesoon
      @homesoon Рік тому +2

      Planck. Music, true learning and discovery aren’t so different.

    • @Spookatz.
      @Spookatz. Рік тому +8

      ​@@atomictraveller bruh

    • @silphv
      @silphv 10 місяців тому +2

      @@sweezlesquee Upvote for recommending Zenon to jazz-heads, haha, nice. I agree, if you get off on complexity, there's a whole new world waiting for you.

    • @alexalani10101
      @alexalani10101 10 місяців тому

      @@atomictravellerPeople are multifaceted and can experience the world in ways that on the surface can seem contradicting but really show a depth of understanding. Point is I think a statement like, one cannot be both a musician and a scientist to be such a limiting and close minded statement. I can’t speak for others, but for myself I have the goal of sonifying specific quantum phenomena like quantum decoherence. I take T1 values (which on an IBM Quantum device, T1 refers to the relaxation time of going from a state like |1> to |0> in a matter of microseconds) and I map these microsecond values directly to Hertz. I don’t consider time and frequency being reciprocals for the mapping since the purpose of the sonification aims to be in a range that humans can easily hear without pain. i.e. it’s a direct mapping of microseconds to Hertz.
      The purpose of sonification is to have an audible way to “hear” quantum decoherence. Hence it being called “The Sound of Quantum Decoherence”, which is the museum exhibit I’m fleshing out. I do this research for a national laboratory when at its core it’s music related.
      While I’m a scientific research, I still play music! In fact, and this doesn’t “make” me a musician but I went to music school and am finishing a degree in oboe performance now. I love jazz, I learn standards, I jam with my friends, I arrange, I compose, I get called for gigs on my main instrument oboe but also trumpet, and I’ve been paid for music before and love music so I consider myself, a musician and a scientist.
      This was an excuse to research-dump as opposed to trauma-dump, hope there was something of value in there.

  • @eatingtumbleweeds5967
    @eatingtumbleweeds5967 Рік тому +291

    This is one of the coolest channels I've discovered this year. Keep going man; math has definitely been growing on me and you're showing me just how applicable it is

  • @GuitaRockz1
    @GuitaRockz1 Рік тому +23

    As a neuroscientist and passionate musician I have always struggled balancing the analytical, physical properties of music (discovered by Pythagoras) and the emotional, story-telling nature that it has carried since we have existed. You sir, have provided the key between both worlds! Thank you for sharing such depth of knowledge! I have one suggestion - this video has so much depth I feel it could be broken into chapters, for people who do not know about physics, electricity it is complex and feel that the jumps could be "chunked" or simplified in layman's (?) terms?
    Bless you and thank you again for such amazing information. You are an inspiring teacher!

  • @mrmatejator
    @mrmatejator Рік тому +15

    I never thought about Jazz being an acquired taste but that honestly explains so much

  • @EngRMP
    @EngRMP Рік тому +115

    That was SO COOL. Maybe, it's just because I'm an electrical engineer who has been fascinated with music, the brain and signal processing... so, WOW, the brilliant connection between these!

  • @LordQueezle
    @LordQueezle Рік тому +10

    The messages from aliens example was really good. That helped make sense of jazz vs less complicated music

  • @willjchill4274
    @willjchill4274 Рік тому +30

    i did not expect this video to have so many varying concepts from so many different fields of study lmao this is great

  • @stuartdryer1352
    @stuartdryer1352 Рік тому +3

    As a neurophysiologist who plays jazz I really like this.

  • @_XRMissie
    @_XRMissie Рік тому +56

    I don't make jazz, but I absolutely love how it plays with harmony and expectation. I wouldn't consider myself a jazz aficionado but I do know that good jazz knows where and when to break "the rules" and the "fundamentals" of jazz can be applied to any genre of music... Which leads me to this video. Idk why I like jazz or feel the need to put jazzy elements on my tracks but it can be fun :D

    • @TheFlyfly
      @TheFlyfly Рік тому +1

      i agree jazzy stuff is fun

    • @cnrspiller3549
      @cnrspiller3549 Рік тому +6

      I think that is why I like jazz - it confounds my expectations. How much I like a piece probably has something to do with how much my expectations are confounded; too much and I'm just listening to noise, too little and it's just a bit boring.
      But I love country too - I love both genres equally. I couldn't think of a more predictable music (in the main) than country. I don't understand what's going on here.
      It's probably psychological. Jazz is the harsh encouragement of Dad and country is the warm hugs of Mum? Dunno 🤷‍♀️

    • @christiantaylor1495
      @christiantaylor1495 10 місяців тому

      I got here through dubstep by Teminite and Evilwave

  • @jneal1347
    @jneal1347 Рік тому +15

    As someone who was in band (jazz and marching) in high school; and went from chemical engineering to computational math in undergrad; and is aiming toward grad in biomed, this video truly maximizes the entropy of my neurons producing seratonin and dopamine :D.

    • @atomictraveller
      @atomictraveller Рік тому +4

      hmm interesting try smoking a joint and see what that does for your appreciation of jazz.

  • @PiotrekPomorski
    @PiotrekPomorski Рік тому +101

    Amount of ramifications that hit my brian when you introduced the concept of deeper meaning in information with higher entropy is outstanding. Thank you for that and keep the good work man! You've earned a subscriber! Cheers

  • @alejandromow
    @alejandromow Рік тому +5

    This is genuinely one of the best videos I have ever seen. It combines physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, music, all combined to explain a single topic. It's freaking beautiful

  • @indi4091
    @indi4091 Рік тому +5

    You really brought together a lot of different domains of knowledge, into one video with something to say, but said it with many wide ranging topics. This was pretty deep

  • @eugeneyuan2060
    @eugeneyuan2060 Рік тому +5

    i now know why i spent hundreds of hours studying bio, physics, and advanced maths in high school- it was to understand this video

  • @LipHop22
    @LipHop22 5 місяців тому +2

    As a hearing care professional and music creator I can say this is the best video I have ever seen in my entire life. I am amazed about everything. You are a multi talent! Thank you very much to share this with us.

  • @benni2294
    @benni2294 Рік тому +10

    I love the way this video combines multiple subjects to understand a topic that has so many facettes

  • @aidankemp-harper2559
    @aidankemp-harper2559 Рік тому +36

    Seriously fascinating high quality video. This blends so many of my interests. Thanks man.

    • @GjaP_242
      @GjaP_242 Рік тому

      No historical evidence exists to tell us exactly who sang the first song, or whistled the first tune, or made the first rhythmic sounds that resembled what we know today as music. But researchers do know it happened thousands of years ago.
      Humans used different noises to express fear or joy. These sounds, along with some of the sounds they heard from animals, such as birds' chirping, might have led them to make music. When people began to use tools, for instance to pound grains, they may have done so in a rhythm, or a regular pattern.
      Music emerged to help people coordinate their movements while they engaged in productive activities. [NIEonline; The Conversation] 2:31

  • @aimonnwood6957
    @aimonnwood6957 9 місяців тому +3

    As a jazz musician, physics student and mathematician, my mind was blown in the most enjoyable, entertaining, relevant way...i am truly impressed and i cannot truly put into words how astonishing this was 🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯

  • @lewtothewaite2033
    @lewtothewaite2033 Рік тому +2

    I absolutely love this channel, it's a crime how few subscribers you have. This is the most intuitive physics lesson I've watched. Great job, man.

  • @dog-with-knife
    @dog-with-knife Рік тому +1

    it's so cool to see practical examples of the concepts you are explaining. Stuff like the one stringed instrument that you made is such a great way to explain what you mean through demonstration.

  • @obliviscaris2727
    @obliviscaris2727 Рік тому +4

    This is one the best content I've ever seen in my life. Resonating with many curiosities at once. Thank you bud, you have my deepest respect.

  • @vvortex2931
    @vvortex2931 Рік тому +3

    This is so great! I'm astonished how packed is this video with information from different disciplines. What a gem!

  • @tomasbayona5434
    @tomasbayona5434 Рік тому

    havent even reached half way through the video but I am so impressed by the depth and span of the material being covered i am genuinely in awe. kudos to you mr bird.

  • @ptr_does_music7042
    @ptr_does_music7042 Рік тому

    As someone taking up classes on information theory and music informatics this term, this video popping up in my feed was an absolute beauty.. great work, really eloquently spoken!

  • @LordRimoah
    @LordRimoah Рік тому +10

    As a telecommunications engineer/jazz pianist this tickled a lot of my own neurons! Thank you for the video. Also I didn't know there was a threshold involved with hearing (but I guess it makes sense)

  • @rlrfproductions
    @rlrfproductions Рік тому +9

    Someone going from jazz to Shannon entropy within 10 minutes is ✨exactly✨ in my niche, holy hell

  • @kartikraghunathan440
    @kartikraghunathan440 Рік тому

    Wow! What a really cool, detailed, explanation of connecting math and music. Haven't seen a full connection of the biology, chemistry, physics, and the math on UA-cam before. Really great stuff!

  • @nickharper4673
    @nickharper4673 Рік тому +1

    Immediate subscribe. This is such a cool study on harmony and physics.
    Now that i can explain it, the relationship between that entropic tension, plus the satisfaction of resolution, will always the most beautiful sound my ears can imagine.

  • @bazteki8564
    @bazteki8564 Рік тому +8

    Amazing and complex concept that you made so easy to understand. I’ve found myself more and more interested in jazz as the years have gone by and have often tried to find an explanation of why it’s so rewarding to listen to. I’ve had little success until now, and usually find myself explaining that I like it because it’s so much more complicated and ambiguous. You’ve basically made an argument saying just that, but with more to back it up XD. Thank you!! Instant subscribe.

  • @athousandechoes2825
    @athousandechoes2825 Рік тому +6

    That is the most brilliant explanation I've heard about social perception of jazz music. Congrats, that's high end phd worth work !

  • @stormRed
    @stormRed Рік тому

    I've been looking for an explanation like this since for ever! Thank you!

  • @gavinrudyk7354
    @gavinrudyk7354 Рік тому

    I've never seen your channel before, but this video is awesome. Super well put together, and you stitched many ideas that I've had before into a really interesting, cohesive video. Great video.

  • @gabrielqueirozvenancio148
    @gabrielqueirozvenancio148 Рік тому +4

    I wanted to say something, but i think you already said everything.
    So, i'll just say that this video was so well produced and developed that it almost made me cry.
    I hope i can almost cry with another masterpiece of yours in the future.

  • @catoleg
    @catoleg Рік тому +3

    I never thought of chords from entropy point of view. Great video!

  • @BardBreakfast
    @BardBreakfast Рік тому

    Ah, I adore your videos. This is so high quality and your passion really seeps through. Phenomenally done.

  • @PySimpleGUI
    @PySimpleGUI Рік тому

    Blown away!! Subscribed within minutes of starting the video.
    I love learning about the brain, music, evolution, and physics. I never thought I would see one video, made by a ?"Physics channel"? that would hit them all and do it SO well. A genius writing job! Thank you!!

  • @nxzya
    @nxzya Рік тому +8

    Holy shit, what a great video. Randomly came across this on my feed and I can’t wait to see what else you put out

  • @paulcastro7507
    @paulcastro7507 Рік тому +5

    As a musician, linguistic and acoustical engineering. I can tell that this video is very accurate and very well made. There are many courses here summarized in just one video, bravo! One idea would be to know how we react to human speech regard to accents and languages, keep working

  • @rftulie
    @rftulie Рік тому

    This is one of the best videos I've seen lately. The person who composed it is interested in and conversant with many different fields such as evolutionary biology of humans, neurophysiology, music theory, etc. I would love to be that intelligent, but I guess I can become that way through exposure! Anyway, my personal take is that the beauty of jazz is indeed a learned taste and that once you hear some unusual chords, they give you an emotional experience that you can't get with more common chords and intervals. I have many jazz recordings along with my more popular music recordings, and some of them are so weird that I don't listen to them that often -- others I listen to frequently. One thing that gets in the way of my going deeper into jazz is that I like tunes I can sing or play on instruments. Since I'm not a musician, I don't have time to learn enough to reproduce jazz tunes in my head well enough to sing them or play them on piano or guitar!

  • @croftoc
    @croftoc Рік тому

    This is one of the most exciting and enlightening videos i have seen in a while. Thank you!

  • @dominicellis1867
    @dominicellis1867 Рік тому +4

    This is a great video. As an extension, you could show how the combinations of frequencies make multi-dimensional chords with multiple ratios or Fourier Transformer (Vestibulocochlear nerve). The emotion of the sound is a function of timbre, multi-dimensional rational frequencies, and the total amplitude of the moment of sound in question. In other words, different chords make us happy or sad depending on the context and energy of the song.

  • @iamcre8ive
    @iamcre8ive Рік тому +5

    Extremely underrated video

  • @klx6265
    @klx6265 Рік тому +1

    What an absolutely amazing video. Stumbled upon your channel first time today and I can say with 100% certainty that I've never clicked the subscribe button this fast.
    Watched all of your uploads, eagerly waiting for the next one.
    Keep up the AMAZING work.
    It's absolutely hilarious that I get to watch this for free, especially when I find myself paying 30$ to watch Netflix originals.

  • @siddsen95
    @siddsen95 Рік тому +1

    This is one of the most fascinating videos that I have been recommended, from a niche channel that deserves a lot more attention.
    I pray the algorithm monarch grants you more visibility.

  • @garrettwaters1726
    @garrettwaters1726 Рік тому +13

    I think the idea of music training our brains for understanding more and more subtle or ambiguous aspects of language and communication is fascinating. As an avid listener of almost entirely jazz and classical music I think this music appeals to me because of the uncertainties and ambiguities. Real people don’t spell their thoughts, motivations, and emotional states out like it’s a root position C major triad. Behind even just a few words is an incredible amount of ambiguity and nuance. Jazz is fun to listen to because it is music that gets very close to simulating the subtly of communicating with real people, even more so by extremely democratic call and response playing that is the dna of the music. While it is easy to get sucked up in the harmonic complexity of jazz. A huge part of the music is interpreting melody and possibly even defying or frustrating harmony for the sake of melody. Trane’s playing is just as dense with information in how he plays solely the melody to I want to talk about you as his solo on giant steps or countdown.

    • @jimmalcolm1581
      @jimmalcolm1581 Рік тому +1

      At least for me, it's the rhythm that really helps to contextualize and gel the harmonic elements together.

  • @notanotherguitarchannel
    @notanotherguitarchannel Рік тому +30

    This is a great video. The other day I was trying to introspect on my appreciation of music. I had a hypothesis that my enjoyment of music was based on the level of complexity I experienced in deciphering the patterns. Music that I could just grasp with a bit of effort, i.e. music in my Zone of Proximal Development to use the Piagetian term, stimulates my brain the most and feels the best to me. Naturally, my familiarity with a particular piece or style of music will affect my ability to process the information and therefore my level of enjoyment. If the music is too foreign or too predictable, I find I lose interest.

    • @olivierlaborde7887
      @olivierlaborde7887 Рік тому

      Very true! I don't think that complexity is what makes it interesting though. I believe that anything unexpected is what makes it interesting, as something simple that ocassionally has something unexpected thrown in will still be interesting.

    • @dopaminecloud
      @dopaminecloud Рік тому

      I still think perceived complexity (as separated from just complexity) is but a single dimension of the need for- and love of music. We need more than that sweet spot challenge. We need preferred aesthetics as well. Tied to past experiences, the bias of our life. Intensely simple and familiar music can still touch you beyond anything if it can worm itself into your aesthetic bias. You're not deciphering anything there.
      You may also have set up this limit of losing interest when something is "foreign" or "predictable" yourself. And it's actually not a real reflection of your capacity of enjoyment, but a barrier that prevents you from even allowing the music to be deciphered at all.

  • @kaymaas5439
    @kaymaas5439 Рік тому

    Very cool way of thinking about this subject!! Good vibes and clear explanations from your side :) Keep it up man!!

  • @AlexG4MES
    @AlexG4MES Рік тому

    What an amazing video! Such depth, such breadth, and such simplicity in both visuals and explanations. It was truly a delight to watch and think about. Sincere congratulations and many thanks for this piece of "organized" art

  • @OrigamiCreeper
    @OrigamiCreeper Рік тому +13

    I usually don't write comments but this is one of the best, most interesting, most informing, well-thought-out videos I have seen in a long time. Fantastic job!

  • @pandstar
    @pandstar Рік тому +6

    I am a huge jazz fan (post-bop, fusion, avant-garde), but I am even a bigger fan of classical music from post 1950 up through the present.
    You know, the atonal, dissonant, 'thorny ' sounding stuff. Elliott Carter, Ligeti, Penderecki, Charles Wuorinen, etc.
    I've always had a hard time putting into words why I like it so much.
    I believe this video nails it.

    • @ionescuflorin7307
      @ionescuflorin7307 4 місяці тому

      Have you tried listening to free improv? It doesn't always hit the mark, but when it does, it spontaneously emulates the best of avant-garde jazz and modern classical. One "just" needs a great deal of patience, attention and curiosity.

  • @katuwasu
    @katuwasu Рік тому

    just found your channel and i’m so glad the algorithm brought me here. love your content!!

  • @acobster
    @acobster Рік тому

    Blown away by this video. I love the connection between music and information theory. Subscribed.

  • @perplexedon9834
    @perplexedon9834 Рік тому +5

    Jazz is very similar to progressive metal, where all sorts of weird harmonies, polyrhythms, time signatures and timbres are played with a huge amount of dynamic variation. I find it super rewarding to listen to, even though I hated my favourite songs on first listen. Once my brain starts learning the songs and predicting the next bit, everything hits so hard and is just amazing to listen to. I feel like it's an exercise for auditory pattern recognition, and there's this things sort of like flow where the difficulty is high but so is your proficiency.

    • @Jeremy-hx7zj
      @Jeremy-hx7zj Рік тому

      I have to do this with all music. Nothing impresses me on first listen.

  • @BearDimka
    @BearDimka Рік тому +9

    As a musician and a composer, I find this video extremely interesting and eye-opening. It's like itch, that I even didn't now to be existed was scratch in an instant. Such a goooood feeling. Thank you for your eloquent explanations about the nature of musical things! I didn't think that's I would get something like this from this video. Totally unexpected! Thank you again!

  • @ericchin739
    @ericchin739 Рік тому +1

    Very good video!
    The explanation of intervals was solid and very well illustrated!!
    Nothing like a GOOD music theory video!!

  • @diosamurcielaga9418
    @diosamurcielaga9418 Рік тому +1

    Fantastic video, I just found your channel and this is a truly wonderful video essay. Bravo!
    High entropy, great complexity licks.
    Greetings from Mexico.

  • @workpine9195
    @workpine9195 Рік тому +4

    I remembered to see some Harmonic Entropy, Generative Theory of Tonal Music (like Melodic Trees) and some really nice Regular Temperament Theory, there are really great stuff, but the reality and specially ethnomusicology is just extremely gigantic and extremely different stuff, as lots of anthropology research

  • @andsalomoni
    @andsalomoni Рік тому +77

    6:17 In the "universal" pentatonic scale, the A has a ratio of 27/16 (which is 3^3/2^4, a very simple ratio), and not of 5/3. It forms a 9/8 whole tone from G, like the 9/8 whole tone from C to D. This is true in Chinese and Indian music - according to the musicological literature that I read - and I guess and bet that it goes for the pentatonic scale wherever it is found all over the world.
    If you have the possibility to check both kinds of A by ear, it will be clear that the "natural" A in the pentatonic scale is 27/16.

    • @physicsforthebirds
      @physicsforthebirds  Рік тому +39

      Oh, now that's really interesting. I found those ratios by calculating the closest reasonable fractions to equal temperament, and I ignored the adjustments in tuning that we make for chords and other tuning systems. But that adds a new dimension to the topic!

    • @sagaa4143
      @sagaa4143 Рік тому +2

      @@physicsforthebirds @andsalomoni dont know about chinese music but in indian classical, the super strong harmonic third emanating from the drone, makes the lower variety (5/3?) of the sixth more sensible. I know it makes sense to have a sixth that is the perfect fifth of the major second (hence 3*3*3) as perhaps the major pentatonic was realised from the first five notes of the circle of fifths. But the drone in Indian classical music (and the harmonic third coming from the base string) throws a lot of the predicted mathematics out of the window. So much so that the major seventh is the harmonic third from the perfect fifth and hence again about 12 cents lower than the ET one. Listen to a fine-tuned Tanpura and you will automatically sing the 5/3 sixth. xx

    • @andsalomoni
      @andsalomoni Рік тому

      @@sagaa4143 The A=27/16 is the major second to the fifth (9/8 to G). The universal pentatonic is built as C D E plus G A, with A forming a 9/8 second to G.
      The tanpura usually plays the tonic and the fifth, so if the tonic is a C, and you take the strongest harmonics coming from the tanpura's C and G, you get C E G B D. The A is not present in the tanpura's drone, and the strong ("dominant") G calls for an A=27/16; the E is quite weak (and "far" from A) in comparison.
      A=5/3 is quite dissonant to G, not so much an A=27/16 to E.
      Listen to any performance of raag Bhupali (Bhupali = the pentatonic scale C D E G A), and you'll hear that they sing and play A=27/16, beyond any doubt.
      The A=5/3 is present in the Bilaval scale, when you derive it from Kalyan (Lydian) scale.
      Kalyan (=Bhupali plus F# and B) has A=27/16, make Kalyan start from G, rename G as C, and you get Bilaval (the Major scale) with an A=5/3.
      The Western Major scale, which can be formed by superposition of the perfect (harmonic) triads C E G, F A C, G B D, has an A=5/3 too (due to the F A C triad).
      But the "natural" A is 27/16.

    • @sagaa4143
      @sagaa4143 Рік тому

      @@andsalomoni I personally hear the harmonic third way more strongly then the perfect fifth harmonic. One would think theoretically the perfect fifth should be louder in the sound of the tanpura but it is the harmonic third instead. Or at least that is how I hear it. Would be happy to send a recorded clip of my own tanpura. This is one instance where reality turns out different from the theoretical predictions. In fact, so much so, the harmonic third also makes the major seventh lower than the ET seventh. ☺️

    • @andsalomoni
      @andsalomoni Рік тому

      @@sagaa4143 I built a swaramandal (harp) which swaras must be tuned by ear (knowing the correct procedure for each scale), and a "lute" able to play all the matematically calculated swaras by itself, just by placing the movable frets in the right pre-calculated slots.
      The two instruments match perfectly.
      Bhupali's (and Kalyan's) A is 27/16, Bilaval's A is 5/3, and so on for all the swaras of all the scales, up to Todi's Eb, Shri's Db and Ab, Marva's Db, E, F# and B, etc. and if you compare them to actual Indian recordings, you hear that the swaras are right.
      The mathematical calculations are right because they are derived from the universal pentatonic's (Bhupali) basic intervals that sound right to the ear, plus a few simple rules that allow you to build all the other scales starting from Bhupali's structure (even without making calculations at all).
      I tune the swaramandal this way, and all the swaras come out right when compared to actual Indian music.
      The true source is the ear that recognizes the harmonic nature of sound and the natural Bhupali, and the mathematics follows, without contradictions.

  • @mesastreatexit
    @mesastreatexit 3 місяці тому

    excellent! it's so rare that i hear someone remark on how entropy has more information, one of my favorite thoughts to think amout

  • @juliusnebulus702
    @juliusnebulus702 Рік тому

    This vidéo has been living rent free in my suggestions since it released
    I finally décided to give it a go and I don't regret it in the slightest.

  • @DavidGoliath1
    @DavidGoliath1 Рік тому +13

    This is an amazingly informative video . I can see that a lot of work went into it and can say it was well worth it. Keep it going!

  • @mihailmilev9909
    @mihailmilev9909 Рік тому +6

    I've been saying for years now that my theory of music at it's core, and all art for that matter, and the reson that people criticize art so badly sometimes, is because they don't understand it's all about a balance of simplicity and complexity. Complexity can provide more information so it's more interesting but if it's too much it can be seemingly chaotic and uncomprehensible (and annoying), while simplicity could be boring to some, put leaves mental space for more powerful and deep emotions on that one simple beat or note or emotion or whatever. And everyone complaining about art just don't realize that it's their tastes that make them more sensitive to one or the other. Jazz musicians find pop and maybe rock music boring and simple but metal and hip hop (very different to each other but close enough to the former) bring a certain level of emotion or groove, respectively, to their relatively simple harmonies or rhythms that jazz usually doesn't.
    Even in visual arts, abstract art is ripped on because people don't realize that the simple shapes are supposed to have very complex meanings, whereas more traditional realistic art has a lot of detail up front which takes a lot of skill but not always as deep and *abstract* meaning behind it.

    • @mihailmilev9909
      @mihailmilev9909 Рік тому +1

      Ofcourse it is possible to have a mix of both which is what I hope to finally get myself to do at some point 😁😅

    • @mihailmilev9909
      @mihailmilev9909 Рік тому +1

      Actually all art is on this spectrum. All genres are some mix. But I want to make art that doesn't stay in one spot on the spectrum. That moves along, showcases all the possibilities, ect. If someone could do a little before me tho, just so I could hear, I wouldn't mind lol 😁

    • @lucy-elizakezia1830
      @lucy-elizakezia1830 Рік тому +3

      @@mihailmilev9909 Try some avant garde, like Mr.Bungle or Cardiacs

    • @mihailmilev9909
      @mihailmilev9909 Рік тому

      @@lucy-elizakezia1830 what's that?

    • @MauriceMossisitnot
      @MauriceMossisitnot Рік тому +1

      A lot of abstract art is used for money laundering too.

  • @babooshkayaya2472
    @babooshkayaya2472 Рік тому

    Fascinating video, my favourite part was the bit about the two alien signals and which one gives you more information. Really puts things into perspective!

  • @sebastiankruiz-huidobro3645

    This is such an amazing video. It helped me out alot with a physics underground case study, and actually makes me in joy researching biophysics

  • @plibb
    @plibb Рік тому +3

    Great video but a couple minutes in I noticed I could hear your tongue moving within your mouth as you spoke and... Having an accurate and realistic image of your mouth and tongue functioning in my head really freaked me out
    Keep up the cool content

    • @Vernerserflog
      @Vernerserflog Рік тому +2

      It's called a lateral lisp. When speaking the sides of the tongue raise higher than normal, causing air to escape out through the cheeks instead of directly out of your mouth. It creates a 'wet' sound that's relatively unmistakable.

    • @plibb
      @plibb Рік тому +1

      ooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhh ok, i thought it was mic sensitivity cos i hear the same thing when i speak sometimes, thanks for the explanation though!

  • @Quadr44t
    @Quadr44t Рік тому +5

    7:02 Hey, do you know what the bandwidth of the individual hair cells are (I am guessing in percentage of the centre frequency of the specific hair cell, rather than just in frequency. Cuz higher up I expect bandwith to increase)
    I wanted to compare that to what “psychoacoustic” experiments suggest is our limit of detecting different frequencies. I wonder if it is more or less the same.

    • @physicsforthebirds
      @physicsforthebirds  Рік тому +5

      Great question, I was actually going to put that in the video at one point! You're right, hair cells are logarithmically arranged so there are more for lower frequencies. We have about 3,500 inner hair cells, so the average spacing is about 5.7 Hz. Humans can perceive differences smaller than that, so my understanding is that we use other methods like beats and processing responses from multiple hair cells to figure it out.

  • @tourdesource
    @tourdesource Рік тому

    That's absolutely fascinating stuff. It'll probably take a while before I understand the corollaries of the entropy thing, it just looks like something that could be applied to so many areas.

  • @wheninroamful
    @wheninroamful 5 місяців тому

    6 minutes in and one of the best things ive watched on UA-cam in a loooong time. So humble, brilliant, and alluring. Great pace and delivery btw!! Thanks so much, gonna sub and explore more. (Im a musician, and Love music more than most things. Victor L. Wooten's books (amazing bass player, and beyound) on Music are also incredible for anyone reading this. )

  • @adrianpaulwynne
    @adrianpaulwynne Рік тому +5

    Good video.
    Regarding the Gm7 example. It's not as mysterious as you might think...
    Jazz Piano books (from the 60s on) typically suggest playing 4-note rootless voicing in the right hand with the idea being that bass player (or your left hand) is already playing the root on the 1 so the chord players don't need to. One such example is the popular book by Mark Levine. The idea is to play the 3rd, 5th, 7th and 9th in various inversions. A typical voicing for Gm7 would be F, A, Bb, D with the 7th as the lowest note in the right hand. Just using the A and Bb can be thought of as a shorthand for this voicing using just the 9th and (minor) 3rd; although it is somewhat ambiguous in terms of chord "function" because the 7th is missing (so you can't tell if the chord has tonic or dominant function unless the left). If you play shell voicings or guide ones in the left hand this would address the functional ambiguity because they typically include the 7th. A lot of music from this period and later doesn't really stick strictly to functional harmony anyway so in some circumstances the player might not be concerned about the ambiguity.
    Incidentally I don't recommend either this book or these voicings, but it's probably where the idea comes from

  • @Quadr44t
    @Quadr44t Рік тому +3

    2:20 Premature comment, but the thing that immediately comes to mind is:
    I wouldn't say it is a by-product of our linguistic ability. More like a part of the audio-oriented communication system. It does seem to communicate emotion better than language sometimes can, for example.
    Ok back to the video ^^
    Edit: Ok, so I conclude: Jazz is like white noise! 😂Did I do it right?

  • @pepe6666
    @pepe6666 9 місяців тому

    hands down the best video on music i have ever heard. i am subscribing to this channel so freaking hard.
    i really enjoyed where you showed that the sum of neurons being in sync gives a stronger signal.
    got me thinking about what relative phase delay between two tones 2:3 ratio will do to those neural activations

  • @HimanXK
    @HimanXK Рік тому

    This is such a cool video. Everything was really well explained and the metaphors were wonderfully constructed to guide us to conclusions ourselves. I knew our ear construction was important to enjoying music but I had never heard about the importance of the math of our neurons. It's awesome that you went so into depth about that, this video was really mind blowing.

  • @Linguae_Music
    @Linguae_Music Рік тому +5

    My silly hypothesis:
    Music is enjoyable because the mathematics that define it are relevant to other areas of physics that involve oscillations... which may includes neural oscillations, since its just a physical process.
    But idk how to explain that part.... brains are pattern seekers, and there are patterns in the harmonic series that relate to emotions and phsyics as well... so its like a reflection of those things.
    Its like experiencing mathematics through our emotions, while also producing a sense of synaestheia since you can perform parralel processing in different regions of the brain.
    Like when you get tingles in your skin from music... its activating a pathway between your auditory centers, your emotional centers and your tactile centers... all sharing information. And it can create an immersive, multisensory experience where the boundaries between the senses blend together somewhat.
    If you really drift away, and get lost in music, its sort of like a mild psychedelic or a religious experience, in the way that mental boundaries begin to blur.
    Idk if any of this makes sense lol
    Not everyone experiences the synaesthetics of it as noticably (try meditating with it), i guess you could put it on a spectrum. But everyone is pretty much capable of it i think...
    I like music :D

  • @sigmacentauri6191
    @sigmacentauri6191 Рік тому +3

    6 minutes into this video, the nature of polyrhythms is explained and I realize why my brain works the way it does, my openness to entertain cognitive dissonance and question the deeper truths of our world come from my passion for the drums. 🤯🥁🖤

  • @fran.vasquez
    @fran.vasquez Рік тому

    Wow! It mixes so many fields and pieces of information... Incredible. As a developer and musician who also happens to like physics... it's heaven! Very well done, great job. 👏

  • @gordcarleigh9157
    @gordcarleigh9157 Рік тому

    Great content, great visuals. Nice job!

  • @iriskirac6980
    @iriskirac6980 Рік тому +4

    Very good video. I have begun to think lately that music (and dancing) are a cultural, small grouped bonding sessions. To me in a setting of 2 to 30 people in (even a) hunter gatherer society people learn each others actions and rhythms and voices. How well they obey the general rules or how well they stand out show to the others their roles in that society. Can they play well with others? How well can they adapt to new situations( perhaps while a rhythm change happens). Who do they copy (who is the main player, who has their dance moves stolen) and so on. Participating could be an invitation to sexual reproduction but it is not limited to it either.

    • @ninamartin1084
      @ninamartin1084 Рік тому +1

      Thank you for mentioning dance! In many languages and traditions the word for the music is the same as the word for the dance that goes with it, eg, waltz, ngoma, salsa, forro, samba, flamenco, etc. and the one does not exist without the other.

  • @Subbestionix
    @Subbestionix Рік тому +22

    How..?
    This channel seems targeted to my interests in every way.
    I love maths and physics, I'm a furry with a birb persona - so i also like drawn bird art. And I'm a musician and i couldn't survive without music.
    So.... Yeah xD love it 💓

  • @crustysockmonster6295
    @crustysockmonster6295 Рік тому

    Good work dude, really fascinating!

  • @adrien5568
    @adrien5568 Рік тому

    This explanation is absolutely brilliant!

  • @Magnymbus
    @Magnymbus Рік тому +59

    Wait... Jazz is an acquired taste? literally everyone I know unironically enjoys some form of jazz, even if it's not their favorite.

    • @mrgabifour4
      @mrgabifour4 Рік тому +3

      Yes, however, back in the 1920's and 1930's jazz was dance music, so something akin to today's pop. Good jazz music carries this tradition. On the other hand it is interesting to point out that back then, there was basically jazz, pop (plays) and classical and that was basically it.

    • @edmontoraptor
      @edmontoraptor Рік тому +9

      @@mrgabifour4 There was definitely a lot more music back then then just jazz, pop, and classical. There are countless folk music traditions like traditional appalachian music,, creole music, and even tejano music in the southwest. There is also the whole genre of religious music from church hymns, to spirituals and gospel music. People also sang working songs like with cowboy ballads, railroad and miners songs, which played into the folk tradition. There was a lot of cross pollination of these styles throughout the 20th century but all were distinct and listened too back then.

    • @ivanmarquez2218
      @ivanmarquez2218 Рік тому +1

      Yeah! Not everyone is accustomed to the simply put, chaos, that Jazz conveys. Even worse when you put it up with Jazz Fusion, which is my favourite genre.
      I remember presenting said genres to a couple of friends and their usual descriptions were along the lines of "Too Much Noise" and "Like someone trying to kill a cat inside a blender".

    • @quincy9908
      @quincy9908 Рік тому +1

      @@edmontoraptor yes, but music available to the masses it was really just Jazz, Blues, Classical. Pop/Westerners wasn't a genre by any means. It just meant popular songs/hits akin to how it's sometimes used today. Folk was there, but only in some areas & was mostly loccal.

    • @quincy9908
      @quincy9908 Рік тому

      @@googlenazicompany5935 Jazz is definitely popular music. It's just not as popular ratio wise as it once was. When it comes the streaming consumption of Jazz & Jazz fused subgenres (Salsa, Bossa Nova, Lofi Hiphop, Jazz Hiphop, Jazz Fusion) there is a big audience of lovers.
      Simply people consume it without knowing. Plus just cause it's not consumed to the level of related genres (Hiphop, Rhythm & Blues, Rock'N'Roll, Pop etc) doesn't mean people will find it hard to listen to. Actual the mass influence jazz has shows the opposite that many like the genre & subgenres under it.
      The world likes jazz, it just doesn't have music figures that does stuff to keep listeners/internet personal eyes on them like Rock & Hiphop does.

  • @adamtaylor2142
    @adamtaylor2142 Рік тому

    This is one of the best videos I've ever seen. Please keep it up!

  • @ivyannanet
    @ivyannanet Рік тому

    Thank you so much for the fun romp through so many interesting subjects!

  • @bogdangradinariu
    @bogdangradinariu Рік тому

    Very well organized content, and so many relevant information. Thanks!

  • @Krisna404
    @Krisna404 Рік тому

    This video just stumbled across my home feed, and although I tend to despise music and physics theories (and they get even deadlier when combined 😱), this video was so intriguing that I finished the whole thing! Keep up the good work mate. And you have just earned a new subscriber 😁👍

  • @josephmeyer756
    @josephmeyer756 Рік тому

    Fantastic video and excellent explanations of a wide variety of topics

  • @mop2884
    @mop2884 Рік тому

    Thank you SO MUCH for this well-delivered explanation! As a Computer Scientist who listens to and plays both catchy power metal tunes AND jazz, this is highly enlightening! It explains why adding some "colourful" notes to an otherwise well-ordered song can make it so much better. It also explains, why jazz is both nice background music for lots of people AND interesting to actively listen to - but only if you're into it. Finally, it explains why all those juicy jazz chords resolve so nicely to our standard minor or major chords in the end and create the sense of relief: The latter are literally easier to listen to since the brain is less strained. It enjoys that moment of serenity after taking an exhausting ride on the "jazz chord rollercoaster".

  • @KJmusic97
    @KJmusic97 Рік тому

    I'm graduating tomorrow from my neuroscience master with a thesis on exactly this, from a neurobiological perspective. Really cool to see a physisist's approach to the questions I tried to find answers for!

  • @kounkieinc3714
    @kounkieinc3714 Рік тому

    I have been loving your video's lately and it's everything i've been looking for. Taking a look to all the things i take interest in or have been wondering about how and why certain things are and mamy things in your video's perfectly explained it.
    Great work and can't wait to watch you grow.

  • @legohexman2858
    @legohexman2858 Рік тому

    Loved the little outro tune

  • @jaredkhan8743
    @jaredkhan8743 10 місяців тому

    I’ve been playing jazz saxophone for around 9 years now and just finished my bachelor’s in biology, and I genuinely loved the topics in this video. It scratched the surface of many questions I’d ask as I went through my classes trying to relate my career with my passions.

  • @klocekhd
    @klocekhd 6 місяців тому

    Aaaaaah i needed a video like this! Thank u sm!!!