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3.4.2Definition of Pitch and Emotional Effects of Pitch
Recall that pitch is your brain's perception of the frequency of sound—whether you perceive it as high, low, or somewhere in between. Table 5 below lists research findings of some of the main emotional effects of pitch. These effects overlap to a degree with emotional effects associated with intervals (Chapter 4) and melody (Chapter 9), both being pitch-related elements of music.
Variations in pitch, like variations in tempo, tend to have substantial emotional effects.
TABLE 5 Emotional Effects of Pitch
Pitch Characteristics |
Associated Emotions |
|---|---|
| Low pitch | Fear, seriousness, generally negative emotional valence; also majesty, vigour, dignity, solemnity, tenderness |
| Low pitch, monotonic | Anger, boredom, sometimes fear |
| Low pitch, especially octave leap downwards |
Sadness, melancholy |
| High pitch | Generally positive emotional valence, happiness, grace, surprise, triumph, serenity, dreaminess |
| High, rising melody,
especially octave leap
upwards |
Happiness, excitement |
| Wandering, unfocused |
Sadness |