Music has become a fascinating subject for neurologists and psychologists in recent years. How the strains heard through the ears or felt through the body could affect our health has become the subject for research for many health professionals.
According to Arthur Harvey, the human brain responds to music in – four different ways- but almost simultaneously. Cognitive response refers to the structural analysis that the mind gets engaged in while listening to music. Deep feelings portrayed in music and felt deeply by the listener is referred to as an effective response. When the rhythms in music affect our heart-rate, breathing rate or the brain wave patterns, it is referred to as physical response. Finally, as the listener transports to a higher level of consciousness, realizing the connection that exists between him or her and the whole universe, it is called transpersonal response.
Beta and Alpha Forms in Musical Experience
Music, we all know, essentially affects us in two ways. One, making us feel relaxed amidst tensions and heat through the unmetered strains such as ‘alap’ (let’s call this genre as alpha-music) or by making us feel fresh and activated with overflowing ‘ahoy’ movements in our life which brings in love, sunshine and confidence (let’s name this type of music as beta).
However, many of the compositions available in the classical systems of the west and the east do combine both these qualities so that the listener has what is called the blow-hot-and-blow-cold effect! At times alpha-music is pumped out of the speaker, and sometimes along with it comes our beta!
It therefore becomes a challenge for music therapists to take up a tune of appropriate needs and to work only to produce the effect intended. For instance, if a therapist wants to relax his patient, he should ensure that the beta aspects of music are avoided in his musical prescription. This would mean that even if he borrows a tune from a great composition, he may have to ensure to avoid those passages in that composition which do not relax the listeners. Apart from the way a composition is made, selection of appropriate musical instruments in the musical composition/presentation would also determine whether the effect of music would be alpha or beta. For instance, use of any percussion instruments which determine the beats would make the musical experience ‘beta’. This would mean that if the music therapist intends to go for alpha music, he should ensure that no beats are emphasized nor any percussion instruments find their way into his or her music. In the same way, in order to boost up the sagging morale of the patient, it is essential that a music therapist goes for a genre, which is ahoy and activating with its intense and rapid beats and rhythms.
Several authors agree that music whose tempo exceeds that of the human heart rate (i.e. around 72 beats per minute) can be safely classified as the beta music and those below that could be referred to as the relaxing alpha music.
Alpha Music
Alpha music is often simple, straight forward and self-denying as we find in chants and recitations, lullabies etc. The consensus among the researchers is that un-metered music devoid of beats (tala) produces theta and delta brain wave patterns in the listeners. Even if there are rhythms, it is their consistency and regularity – but with a slow pace (tempo) – that makes a musical structure, capable of relaxing its listeners. Recent experiments employing music in pain management indicate that the sustained rhythms available in music helps greatly in overcoming pain. The reason for this is based on the idea that pain is a symptom of disharmony in one’s body and mind and that it is a series of vibrations that send messages to the brain indicating certain disharmony within that makes one feel the pain. The idea here is that by reprogramming and harmonizing the mind and body and entraining with appropriate music, the sensation of pain could be cleverly overcome.
The Secret of Complementary Sounds in Alpha Music
The series of overtones emanating from an integral multiple of a fundamental tone as we find in Himalayan singing bowl(s) and also in other musical instruments have been used in the past to uplift one’s consciousness. Tibetan Buddhism had been employing this sound for accelerating the pace of reaching a meditative state. These upper partial notes have been found to enhance the transformation of consciousness into alpha-levels, causing relaxation. Similar effects have also been found in chanting using minimal notes (swaras) in an-octave such as In Gregorian chants, Hindu’s mantras, etc. Repetitive rhythms and phrases in music are known to help in controlling the chaotic behaviour of the uncontrolled minds.
The Secret of Feel-Feel Ragas
The recent re-discovery of Raga Chikitsa for its therapeutic role has been studied by this author in a number of experiments conducted with the mentally-retarded. It is felt that by stirring our emotions, feelings and thinking processes, a raga can help us deal with grief, sadness, anger and trauma associated with any disability or challenge – whether mental or physical. Perhaps, by allowing us to experience our own feelings, the intensity of such feelings gets diluted and in due course, even dissipated. As a consequence, one gets healed of the long built-up misery in life. It may be noted that by avoiding a tete-a-tete with our feelings built up inside us we allow them to be a permanent part of our personality and hence continue to suffer from them.
It is therefore necessary that we tackle them by holding their horns and fight with them with music. By addressing them with emotion-laden ragas, it is easier to deal with those feelings which trouble us. As the music evaporates, the feelings also do so, thus leaving as refreshed and renewed.
The Role of Minor Keys
It is interesting to note that music set in a minor key is quite effective in enhancing feelings — somewhat more poignant; moving or emotional. Hence such music is preferred in dealing with emotional problems through emotional healing settings.
The Role of Gamakas
Gamakas are the oscillation notes, found as a distinguishing characteristic of the Indian raga system. Through oscillations, sometimes one note touches the frequencies of the neighbouring notes. This ‘love- thy neighbour policy’ has made the Indian ragas quite emotional (bhaava) rendering for its unique therapeutic capability.
Through oscillations the listeners are unknowingly and unconsciously imparted with the much-needed traits of adjustments. This could be one of the reasons for the heritage of ‘Indianness’ in Indian religions Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism which ‘all-preached nothing but-the need for compassion and love as in human life style an essential requirement in a human being’. Yes, music brings in that humanness to its devotees! Further, in order to prepare one’s mind in coping up with the harsh realities in life, the gamaka music imparts tremendous flexibility.
Secret of Modulation in Music
Modulation in music refers to the adjustment or varying of the tone or pitch; altering the amplitude and frequency; change from one key to another and so on. It has been noticed that it is through such modulation one could easily develop self-control leading towards achieving tremendous Will Power.
Beta Music
As melody evokes emotion, rhythms excite us physically.
Though rhythm and melody go hand in hand in making our musical experience, melody (as we find in African music) is subservient to rhythm. As an illustration we can take up the famous oeuvre of Maurice Ravel (“Bolero”). This work consists of a single orchestral crescendo, which lasts for about 17 minutes). As one listens to it closely, it can be found that it is nothing more than 18 repetitions of the same theme moving with increased volume and slightly increased tempo, which bring out its beta characteristics. However, unlike alpha music, beta music is often complex and assertive, sometimes even aggressive and violent. It is characterized by impulsive changes in tones, melodies, rhythms and chords. In western classical system of music, harmony is accentuated by allowing the simultaneity of tones, called chords. The arrival of chords there makes the music ‘vertical’, thus enhancing the dimensionality of musical experience- a unique contribution to the world of music by the western musical genius, Harmony, is often described by musicologists as ‘clothing of melody”!
For instance, we all know how essential military music is, which is a clear example of beta type (with its `dhang-dhang-dhang’ beats synchronized with the soldiers’ foot-steps). Aerobic or work-out music also woven with beta ingredients particularly with accentuated beats are used in the gym to activate the participants doing jogging and other forms of exercise. Other forms of music such as jugalbandhi, which involve indulging in a debate between artists or instruments which eventually cool down to a settlement again musically. All the tonal and melodic stress shown in music under the beta-category of music are capable of stressing the minds of the listeners. It is interesting to note that such stress caused by music really comes under the category of ‘eustress’, which is positive stress required to be healthy. It is stress and strains of music which directly address those accumulated in mind and help in overcoming them. Thus, frequent use of musical stress in beta music has a cleansing effect on the mind.
Diversionary Music
An example of diversionary music is the playing of bright, happy, energizing music when the listener feels down in the dumps. Such time-tested beta-music is mood-enhancing and should be part and parcel of the listener who finds them.
It has been observed that it is a beta type of music that encourages the listeners to impart confidence to overcome all obstacles arising while performing the tasks in life. Recent reports also confirm that in children with severe physical and mental disabilities music therapy has worked wonders by reducing the muscle tension and relaxing them. Where people have lost movement due to serious illness or accident, music has often been used to quicken their recovery.
By creating synchronized movement responses to rhythmic patterns, music is found capable of diverting one’s attention from the locus of pain or discomfort or fatigue.
By cultivating the habit of listening to music we can all manage our stress-levels to make our living more beautiful and productive.
Join this music therapy revolution, which calls for a more prudent use of sounds and music in your daily life.
This article was published in Mystic India – June 2008 – Pages 43 to 45
Edited by Geeta Shreedar, July 21, 2021