Effects of Music

[Guest guest]

I expect the raga caused the slowest heartbeat cos people went to

sleep :-)

 

Jo (metal fan)

 

29 Sep 2005

 

Musical training might be good for the heart, suggests a small study,

which shows that it is musical tempo, rather than style, that is the

greatest stress buster.

 

The findings, published ahead of print in Heart, are based on various

aspects of breathing and circulation, in 24 young men and women,

taken before and while they listened to short excerpts of music.

 

Half of those taking part were trained musicians, who had been

playing instruments for at least seven years. The remainder had had

no musical training.

 

Each participant listened to short tracks of different types of music

in random order, for 2 minutes, followed by the same selection of

tracks for 4 minutes each. A 2 minute pause was randomly inserted

into each of these sequences.

 

Participants listened to raga (Indian classical music), Beethoven's

ninth symphony (slow classical), rap (the Red Hot Chilli Peppers),

Vivaldi (fast classical), techno, and Anton Webern

(slow " dodecaphonic music " ).

 

Faster music, and more complex rhythms, speeded up breathing and

circulation, irrespective of style, with fast classical and techno

music having the same impact. But the faster the music, the greater

was the degree of physiological arousal. Similarly, slower or more

meditative music had the opposite effect, with raga music creating

the largest fall in heart rate.

 

But during the pauses, all the indicators of physiological arousal

fell below those registered before the participants started to listen

to any of the tracks.

 

This effect occurred, irrespective of the musical style or

preferences of the listener, but was stronger among the musicians,

who are trained to synchronise their breathing with musical phrases.

 

Passive listening to music initially induces varying levels of

arousal, proportional to the tempo, say the authors, while calm is

induced by slower rhythms or pauses.

 

They suggest that this could therefore be helpful in heart disease

and stroke. Other research has shown that music can cut stress,

improve athletic performance, improve movement in neurologically

impaired patients, and even boost milk production in cattle.

 

Cardiovascular, cerebrovascular and respiratory changes induced by

different types of music in musicians and non-musicians: the

importance of silence Online First DOI: 10.1136/heart.2005.064600

 

Emma Dickinson

edickinson

44-20-7383-6529

BMJ Specialty Journals

bmj.com