The brain on music - EVERYBODY knows the pentatonic scale

[knotkranky]

Bobby McFerrin demonstrates the power of the pentatonic scale, using audience participation, at the event "Notes & Neurons: In Search of the Common Chorus", from the 2009 World Science Festival, June 12, 2009.

This is extremely wonderful.

http://vimeo.com/5732745

[Tone Deft]

I will never forget that.

[8O]

yeah, just caught that from William Gibson's twitter... very nice...

[Jekblad]

i saw that bit in an older video, this demonstration was killer though.

[Casual Beats]

outstandingly cool

[sparklepuff]

Just saw somebody post this on FB, soooooooo fucking cool!

[funky shit]

omg
that was amazing.

[gjm]

meh

ever sung in a choir?

its not that ALL people 'know' the pentatonic scale, its that most people can copy what they hear because they have a reference and can make adjustments in their vocal quickly enough to match what they hear. Take them away from the 'group' and they would struggle.

[dcease]

meh

ever sung in a choir?

its not that ALL people 'know' the pentatonic scale, its that most people can copy what they hear because they have a reference and can make adjustments in their vocal quickly enough to match what they hear. Take them away from the 'group' and they would struggle.

+1. <shrugs shoulders> whopptidy doo...

[funky shit]

spoil the buzz.

[dcease]

spoil the buzz.

it's not that, but shit... i expected more from...

"This is extremely wonderful."

"I will never forget that."

"very nice..."

"this demonstration was killer though."

"outstandingly cool"

"soooooooo fucking cool!"

"omg that was amazing."

too much of a build up

[8O]

^ yeah, "very nice" was outrageously over the top!

[dcease]

^ yeah, "very nice" was outrageously over the top!

alright, alright. but still

[knotkranky]

meh

ever sung in a choir?

its not that ALL people 'know' the pentatonic scale, its that most people can copy what they hear because they have a reference and can make adjustments in their vocal quickly enough to match what they hear. Take them away from the 'group' and they would struggle.

wow dude, you've missed a bunch

* Not a choir is it? Just punters who don't normally sing. I'm going to assume you know the diff.

* It's not that all know the scale as a scale. It's that it is natural to them. I ask you why that was preferred for an untrained group of anybodys?

* Note searching? it moved too fast to make vocal adjustments based on that alone. It was very tight for a non trained unprompted group.

* sure, take them away from the group, but it's their confidence that would drop, which is entirely different.


The biggest point of all is that the entire group collectively sang the same notes just with an up or down cue from bobby. That's what makes the pentatonic scale the natural scale that everybody knows.

It's a curious thing, and when conducted or delivered passionately and correctly without fear of musical failer as a group, we sing together. It ties humanity a little closer together. Except for you and dcease

[funky shit]

spoil the buzz.

it's not that, but shit... i expected more from...

"This is extremely wonderful."

"I will never forget that."

"very nice..."

"this demonstration was killer though."

"outstandingly cool"

"soooooooo fucking cool!"

"omg that was amazing."

too much of a build up

LOL