What you're listening to is an interpretation of a song inscribed on a clay tablet some
3400 years ago.
It was excavated from the ruins of an ancient Syrian city in the 1950s and it's one of the
oldest surviving musical notations in the world.
The song, known as Hurrian Hymn #6 or the Hurrian Hymn to Nikkal, is believed to be
a hymn dedicated to the Ugaritic goddess Nikkal with lyrics to be sung and notes to be played
with an ancient string instrument known as a lyre.
Not a liar but a lyre.
English, why even try.
Musicologists have since attempted to transcribe these notations but rival transcriptions vary greatly.
The version you just listened to is merely one of numerous interpretations.
There's no way to determine the accuracy of these interpretations so what the
Hurrian Hymn to Nikkal actually sounded like back in 1400 BC, we may never know.
Why is it that music like this...
...sounds happy while music like this...
...sounds sad?
Well, research has found that music often seem to convey emotion by mimicking our vocal
and physical expressions of emotion.
Loud and fast music commonly evoke a sense of fear or excitement as loudness and a rapid
heart rate correlate with those emotions while soft and slow music commonly evoke as sense
of serenity or melancholy for the opposite reasons.
And some of these emotional cues appear to transcend cultural boundaries.
For example, one study found that Canadian listeners were able to identify the intended
emotion in music from Kyrgyzstan, India, and a native American tribe despite having no
previous exposure to that kind of music.
Conversely, when members of a native African tribe was exposed to Western music, they too
were able to correctly identify the intended emotion.
On the other hand, some emotional cues appear to be culture-specific.
The reason most of us perceive this music as happy...
...while perceiving this music as sad...
...is due in part to the respective songs being played in major and minor key.
However, this perception of major being happier than minor is not intrinsic to music but rather
a culture-specific association.
It's something we've learned.
In fact, some cultures have the complete opposite association with minor being perceived as
happier than major.
Not to mention that numerous cultures use completely different musical systems where
major and minor is not even a thing.
One study found that members of a remote Amazonian tribe with little to no exposure to Western
music perceived these consonant chords...
...as equally pleasant to these dissonant chords.
So the reason we perceive them as harmonious or discordant is because we've learned to do so.
It is not some innate preference.
There's no definitive answer as to why certain sounds makes us feel certain emotions but
one interpretation is indeed that sad music sounds sad as it resembles the sounds and
behaviors we've come to associate with sadness.
Some of those associations are culture-specific while others are culture-transcendent and
the amalgamation of both is what enables a simple sound to convey a complex emotion.
Why is it that a really good tune can induce shivers down your spine and even goosebumps?
It's a sensation familiar to most, although not to everyone, but much like the emotionality
of music there's no clear consensus on exactly why it happens.
Goosebumps are produced by a vestigial fight-or-flight response from back when humans were covered in hair.
When our ape-like ancestors had to battle the cold or sensed imminent danger, their
hair would rise to improve insulation or to make them appear larger and more intimidating.
As we've since shed our beastly fur to become bipedal mole-rats, goosebumps are merely a
vestige from a time before receding hairlines.
But how is this connected to music?
Well, studies have found that music stimulates reward pathways in the brain which triggers
the release of dopamine similar to what happens when you eat tasty food or take psychotropic drugs.
So musical shivers is the auditory equivalent of some really good pot.
These dopamine triggers appear to be activated in anticipation of a climax or when the song
takes an unexpected turn such as a satisfying drop in EDM...
...or a crescendo in classical music.
This surge of dopamine then triggers the release of adrenaline which in turn can induce shivers
and transform you into a menacing cactus.
So we do know how it happens but we're not entirely sure why our brains are wired to
respond this way in the first place.
Inside a church in the town of Halberstadt in Germany there's an organ that appears to
be stuck on the same chord.
What you're listening to is actually a musical piece called As Slow As Possible.
It was written by an American composer named John Cage in 1985 and as the name would suggest
it is the slowest musical performance ever undertaken.
A conventional performance of this piece would take less than an hour but the slow-motion
concert inside this church will not conclude for another 622 years.
The project began in 2001 but the piece is played at such an excruciating pace that the
first actual sound was not heard until some 17 months into the performance.
Since then it's only gone through 12 chord changes, the latest of which was heard back in 2013.
The next transition is not expected until September of 2020.
Which reminds me that we're closer to 2020 than 2013.
Why is time?
Each chord change attracts a sizable audience and presuming the organ can be maintained
for centuries to come this concert is scheduled to conclude in 2640.
Which is coincidentally the deadline I've set for my next video.
Asking someone "Do you like music?" is a bit like asking someone if they like being happy.
Of course I like music.
Everyone likes music.
Not the same genre perhaps but certainly music in general.
I think we can all agree that music is universally liked.
Well, if you do agree with that then you'd be horribly wrong because some people are
in fact incapable of deriving pleasure from music.
It's known as musical anhedonia and affects approximately 3-5% of the population.
It is typical for music to affect autonomic functions such as pupil dilation, breathing,
and heart rate but, much like a Swede listening to Danish, musical anhedonics perceive music
as nothing more than apathetic noise.
And it is a specific indifference towards music as those with the condition display
perfectly normal emotional responses to other forms of stimuli.
However, while incapable of feeling the music they are perfectly capable of comprehending
the emotions being conveyed.
So a sad or happy song will still sound sad or happy but it won't make them feel sad or happy.
This is a piece composed by Mozart around 1782 and while it may sound rather beautiful,
the lyrics are not quite what you'd expect from one of the most renowned composers in history.
When translated from German the title of this composition is, no joke, "Lick Me In the Ass".
It is believed to be inspired by a famous quote from a contemporary German drama in
which the protagonist uses the phrase as a comedic insult.
However, this is merely one example of Mozart's fascination with scatology.
Which is a very academic way of saying that Mozart enjoyed writing and singing about feces.
Roughly 12% of the letters Mozart wrote to family and friends contains at least one scatological
or sexual reference.
For example, in November of 1777 he wrote this letter to his cousin which can be translated as such.
Early scholars were so taken aback by these inelegant musical works and letters that such classics as
"Lick Me In the Ass Right Well and Clean" which is an entirely different
piece from the aforementioned one mind you, were shamefully suppressed with more flattering
titles and lyrics.
Some authors have interpreted Mozart's prolific use of obscenities as evidence of Tourette syndrome.
A rare symptom of which is the involuntary utterance of obscenities.
However, just as many oppose this interpretation as Mozart's close circle of family and friends
would frequently engage in equally obscene exchanges.
The most probable explanation is that he was simply having a laugh.
In fact, some historians argue that this was a very common sense of humor in 18th century Germany.
Also, I love the fact that this is a subject deemed worthy of a dedicated page on Wikipedia.
One of the earliest musical instruments, aside from shouting in harmony and incessant meat slapping,
is the flute.
The oldest surviving flute could be this bone fragment excavated from an archaeological
site in Slovenia.
The bone is that of the long extinct cave bear and is at least 43,000 years old.
Assuming it is a fragment of a Paleolithic flute it may serve as evidence that Neanderthals
played and enjoyed music as much as modern humans.
On the other hand, the holes may simply be the bite marks of an animal and examples of
similar bite marks do exist.
Less controversial claims of prehistoric flutes include this vulture bone flute and this pair
of mammoth ivory flutes.
The Happy Birthday song is arguably the most popular songs in the world given that birthdays
tend to occur at least once a year.
The melody dates back to the late 1800s when an American school teacher named Patty Hill
and her sister Mildred Hill wrote a song titled Good Morning to All.
The lyrics were frequently rewritten to be sung at special occasions such as
Christmas, New Year, or birthdays.
As the birthday variation was published without credit or copyright a company known as Summy Company
ceased the opportunity to copyright the song in 1935.
Summy Company was eventually acquired by Warner/Chappell Music
and ever since they have collected royalties on public uses of Happy Birthday to You.
It is arguably the most profitable song in history with estimated lifetime earnings upwards of $50 million.
However, in 2010 an American law professor extensively researched the song and found that
while the composition of the melody can be traced to the Hill sisters, the person
who wrote the actual lyrics of Happy Birthday to You remains unclear.
This research served as the basis for a successful lawsuit against Warner/Chappell Music by a
documentary filmmaker and in late 2015 the company's copyright claim
on Happy Birthday to You was invalidated.
For the first time ever the song is now in the public domain in both the US and Europe
and so it is no longer illegal to celebrate birthdays.
It's difficult to believe that this sampled drum loop could be responsible for the creation
and evolution of entire genres and musical subcultures.
Chances are that you've heard it before.
It's a sample known as the Amen break and it is one of the most ubiquitous samples in
music history.
It comes from a song released in 1969 titled "Amen, Brother" by an American funk and soul group
known as The Winstons.
In 1986 "Amen, Brother" reemerged as part of a compilation album titled "Ultimate Breaks and Beats"
and soon thereafter this brief drum solo near the middle of the song
found its way into a vast collection of hip-hop and electronic music.
The sample would come to have an immeasurable influence on countless genres such as
hip-hop, breakbeat, jungle, house, techno, hardcore, drum 'n' bass and the list continues.
It's been used in everything from death metal to elevator music.
It's use is so omnipresent and timeless that it would honestly be surprising if you've
managed to escape it.
Although pitch and tempo variations, not to mention recreations, can make it difficult to recognize.
Personally it will always make me think of the Futurama theme song.
However, the Amen break is merely one amongst an ever-expanding family of instrumental drum samples.
In 1800 a renowned German composer named Daniel Steibelt traveled to the Austrian city of Vienna.
Another famous German composer named Ludwig van Beethoven had been living and performing
in the capital for quite some time and, if an account written by a student of Beethoven
is to be believed, when Steibelt arrived he challenged Beethoven to an improvisational
piano contest.
These musical duels served as a form of contemporary entertainment, comparable to modern day rap battles
and so Beethoven accepted.
The contest was organized by and took place in the house of one Count Fries.
Well, it's most likely pronounced Count "Freeze" but I'm gonna ignore that and stick with Count Fries
and ketchup on the side because how often do you get to say Count Fries in a video.
Anyway, when the day of the duel arrived Steibelt was the first to play.
Known for his impressive use of tremolos, the audience cheered him on as he conjured
up a storm on the piano.
As he improvised on the piano portion of a quintet, he threw the unnecessary cello portion to the side.
Then it was Beethoven's turn.
As he walked towards the piano he picked up the cello portion which Stiebelt had so carelessly
dismissed, turned the sheet upside down, and hammered out an improvisational theme from
the first few bars.
He mockingly improvised on this theme for quite some time and the audience loved it.
Realizing he'd been thoroughly outplayed and humiliated, Stiebelt stormed out of the house
of Count Fries before Beethoven had even finished.
He supposedly declared that he would not return for as long as Beethoven resided in Vienna.
Well, Beethoven lived out his life in the Austrian capital and Stiebelt kept his promise as he never returned.
You could say that Stiebelt was thoroughly fried after Beethoven's musical grilling.
As for Count Fries himself, Beethoven actually dedicated a number of compositions to
Count Moritz von Fries in appreciation of his continued patronage.
Either that or his incredible name.
One of which has been playing in the background of this segment.
Not that this is relevant to the story or anything I just wanted to squeeze in a few extra fries.
The timeless Count Fries can be seen here with his family.
No doubt dreaming about salty strips of potato-based produce.