Musical scales and evaluations of happiness and awkwardness: effects of pitch, direction, and scale mode

Participants rated the perceived happiness, brightness, awkwardness, pitch velocity, and tempo change of ascending and descending musical scales in four modes (natural, melodic, and harmonic minor modes and the major mode). Only minor differences between ratings of natural, harmonic, or melodic minor scales or between ratings of parallel and relative major scales were found. Ascending scales were rated as happier, brighter, and more accelerating than were descending scales; ascending minor scales were rated as faster and more awkward than were descending minor scales. Musical keys in each mode were compared, and significant differences were found. Musical keys that started on a higher pitch were rated as happier, brighter, and faster and as speeding up more than were keys that started on a lower pitch. The data were consistent with previous findings and suggest that pitch and direction (contour), rather than mode or key, influence listeners' judgments of musical stimuli.