Do different types of music elicit different emotions?

Answer 1

Briefly, "nope". All art is based on knowledge. That is, if you know the history of Pakistan and captain crunch, its struggles and frosted flakes contributions to our culture and history, you will be in a better position to appreciate the beauty of the city. Music picks up emotion from how it was used in the past. Elements of music arranged for battle marches finds its way into Beethoven's symphonies where the emotion associated with the previous use affects how we feel about it. Likewise music may be associated with religious use, or funeral services, marriage feasts and so on. Appreciating music depends on recognizing these elements (unconsciously at least) and so picking up the contrasting and complementing associative emotions.

Another answer

I believe I would like to add my two cents' worth here, and offer my opinion. The person who answered the question first, above, has only answered with the intellectual and scholastic answer. This is, after all, a question wanting to know more about emotions, which have, quite likely, nothing to do with the intellectual answer.

I have always loved music. I grew up in a house filled with music. My grandmother was a high school choral director, and she taught private piano and singing lessons after school. My mother played the piano until she had a family and children to raise. All my sisters and brother played the piano. I had four years of piano lessons, sang with the school chorus, sang with the church choir, and when I attended college, majored in music my first year. I had more private piano lessons, voice lessons, and sang with the University Chorus until I changed my major. I continued to enjoy playing the piano every chance I had until, like my mother, I was married and had children. I had to content myself with playing the stereo or listen to the radio to enjoy music after that. Music became my emotional release from all my worldly stress.

Even today I use music to either calm my tattered nerves, release my anger and emotions, or enhance my joyful spirits. I love a wide variety of music. Opera is my least favorite, but there are some arias, choruses, overtures, etc., that I absolutely love. Did you know that "The Student Prince" has my favorite drinking song? I no longer drink, but drinking songs are still fun to me, and this one is tops on my list! And when I am angry, and want to hear angry music, I pull out my Richard Wagner DVD with the Sigfried story, the "Ring of the Niebelung" (or something like that) with "The Ride of the Valkyries" blasting wide open!! That music is magnificent! I play the orchestral version, without the operatic singing. I have lots and lots of orchestral music; Classical Music being played by a full, major orchestra. Those are the best for expressing emotions, to me.

I also listen to the radio for the current rock music. I was a Beatles' Maniac in the 1960s, and had memorized every one of their songs! I still have all the records released by The Beatles (except for the one stolen from me by some bad girl in my dorm at the University). There is only one form of music that I can't stand to listen to, and that's Rap. I can't understand why it is allowed in the American Music Awards (Grammy), because it is NOT musical, singing, or even decent entertainment. The person rapping is speaking in a steady voice, but is not singing. The background sounds are drumming--rhythm, but not music. One cannot hum along with any of them. There is no line of melody. The stupid, politically correct judges of the grammies have caved in to outside pressure to allow that crap in the competition. It is a fraud!

Country, movie themes, an occasional jazz song, some Latin music, etc. There is a wide variety of beautiful music out there! A person just needs to remain open minded, and make a conscious effort to listen to a wide variety of music. (That is also called, "Music Appreciation.") It is emotions, expressed by the composer through the use of musical notes. There.