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Do You Get Chills When Listening To Certain Music?

A

Afro1989

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Dec 16, 2005
612
1
Hey people. My dad and I were just curious as to why humans get chills when listening to a song they really like. You know what I'm talking about right? I wonder what the scientific explanation for this is. When I get chills during a song on my iPod, I know it's a good one. :D
 
Oh DEFINATELY. Listen to "Butterflies and Hurricanes" by Muse. The lines "Best, you've got to be the best,...you've got to change the world, and use this time to go on..." gave me shivers.

And it inspired me when I was studying for midterms.
 
Yeah, I know that. I'm not an idiot. I'm just curious as to what the real scientific explanation for it.
 
absolutely, Diana Krall (anything), Damien Rice (cannonball), Athlete (I Love), David Gray (a few songs)

..and anything my wife sings.
 
Benjamindaines said:
Yes, those are called emotions ;) :D
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Like was that necessary? I think he was looking for deeper responses.

And yes, I do. I love music that speaks to exactly where I am at the moment. Sad, happy, or whatever emotion is going on in whatever relationship. I love that. That combined with the pefect mix of music does it every time.
 
I'll second that, different music brings different emotion based on my mood and life circumstances in general.
 
Afro1989 said:
Yeah, I know that. I'm not an idiot. I'm just curious as to what the real scientific explanation for it.
Click to expand...


hmm, scientific? Well its been proven that our bodies work on rhythms and therefore some scales are more pleasing to the ear than others. (our blood pumping is one rhythm for example)

do you know what tonics are? cadences? (not trying to be condescending, but some of those things are simply more natural, I think those musical concepts matched with just the right lyrics, and just the right emotion/vocal appeal, and time and place in which you first hear/listen to the music is what sets that emotion that gives you chills.

Movies are spectacular because they can set an emotion, then meticulously pick music that fits perfectly and sometimes it is comepletely unnoticable because it fits SOO well.

JMO
 
Peyton said:
Like was that necessary? I think he was looking for deeper responses.
Click to expand...
Oh, lighten up it was a joke. Hence the ;) and the :D.

Usually the chills happen because the lyrics relate to what is going on in you life or something that you love or even something that you really want.
 
Yes, I too have on occasion experienced "chills" when listening to a particularly good song. Not sure of what the scientific explanation is however.....

Oh, lets go easy on Benjamindaines, he was just trying to be funny.
No need to take offense or be rude. :)
 
Definitely...songs that really hold a lot of meaning to me give me the chills when I listen to them. Doesn't even have to have lyrics necessarily, just has to have a certain feel to it.
 
Benjamindaines said:
Usually the chills happen because the lyrics relate to what is going on in you life or something that you love or even something that you really want.
Click to expand...

There we go, that sounds like a logical explanation. :)
 
Absolutely - but it depends on my mood. If I'm driving around late at night, or am alone, Sasha will do it every time, especially the GU:013 album. Airdrawndagger does as well. Other times, it's Seal - it can be a whole variety of music for me.

I especially get chills though with classical music. I perform with a Symphony Orchestra, and although many classical pieces give me chills, there's nothing like actually playing the music, in an orchestra, as a team, making the music - nothing compares to that experience. :cool:
 
Geeze...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goose_flesh

"Goose bumps are created when tiny muscles at the base of each hair, known as arrectores pilorum, contract and pull the hair erect. The reflex is started by the sympathetic nervous system, which is in general responsible for many fight-or-flight responses.

Goose bumps are often a response to cold: in animals covered with fur or hair, the erect hairs trap air to create a layer of insulation. Goose bumps can also be a response to fear: the erect hairs make the animal appear larger, in order to intimidate enemies. This can for example be observed in frightened cats. In humans, it can even extend to piloerection as a reaction to hearing nails scratch on a chalkboard or listening to awe-inspiring music."

If you were a cat, goosebumps means you are puffing yourself up to become bigger, scarier and less edible to a predator. Or since we humans don't meet many predators these days, we pilorerect when we are under the influence of powerful emotional responses (ben was right)


For me: Classical, or great vocal harmonies, gospel, the Nylons, the Eagles' Seven Bridges Road, k.d. lang's Ingenue album, Mocedades "Eres Tu" (which just popped into my head yesterday after a 25 year absence... Thank you iTMS for satisfying that fix), and 'woo-woo' stuff like demonstrations of 'psychic' phenomena. Don't believe in it, but my reptilian brain still says "woo- scary!"
 
Oh yeah, man.

It's all about that moment of release in Barber's Adagio for Strings... Those 4 measures are amazing to play, and even more chilling to listen to...


also, the last movement of Beethoven Five.. I'm all over it.

And you have to give it up for the Bartok viola concerto.. Mmm, tasty!

(yes, I'm a classical music dork. No, I don't want to change my ways.)
 
katie ta achoo said:
Oh yeah, man.

It's all about that moment of release in Barber's Adagio for Strings... Those 4 measures are amazing to play, and even more chilling to listen to...


also, the last movement of Beethoven Five.. I'm all over it.

And you have to give it up for the Bartok viola concerto.. Mmm, tasty!

(yes, I'm a classical music dork. No, I don't want to change my ways.)
Click to expand...
I had just passed on mentioning Beethoven's 3rd movement of the 5th thinking no one else would notice. Good to see you're back from Europe, KT.
 
CanadaRAM said:
Geeze...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goose_flesh
Click to expand...

Good job CanadaRAM on getting a true definition/explanation of the phenomenon. :)

katie ta achoo said:
(yes, I'm a classical music dork. No, I don't want to change my ways.)
Click to expand...

Never be ashamed of the music that you listen to. I also enjoy some classical music now and then. Usually I listen to Country or something from Rod Stewart. :)
All depends on what mood that I am in. ;) :)
 
katie ta achoo said:
Oh yeah, man.

It's all about that moment of release in Barber's Adagio for Strings... Those 4 measures are amazing to play, and even more chilling to listen to...


also, the last movement of Beethoven Five.. I'm all over it.

And you have to give it up for the Bartok viola concerto.. Mmm, tasty!

(yes, I'm a classical music dork. No, I don't want to change my ways.)
Click to expand...

Oooh, good picks - sounds like we would get along just fine having a dorky classical music conversation! :D

Just practicing for this week's concert - Mahler #4. We're playing Holst - Planets next concert, and I'm looking forward to Mars and Jupiter. :cool:

Otherwise, I love Dvorak #9 movement #2, R. Strauss's Alpine Symphony, Kodaly's Dances of Galanta, geez, I could go on and on, about 20 more just popped into my head... :cool:
 
xsedrinam said:
I had just passed on mentioning Beethoven's 3rd movement of the 5th thinking no one else would notice. Good to see you're back from Europe, KT.
Click to expand...

I was about to stay there.
No, really.
:)

dmw007 said:
Never be ashamed of the music that you listen to. I also enjoy some classical music now and then. Usually I listen to Country or something from Rod Stewart.
All depends on what mood that I am in.
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why yes, dmw, I do think you're sexy. (only rod stewart song I know.)

I'm not ashamed around my other classical music dork friends. When I'm with "the normals" I hide it a little. I pretend to know who people like Mike Jones and (insert rapper here) are.

OT:
I'd like to add the 3rd movement of Dvorak 6!
So. Good!
 
katie ta achoo said:
I'd like to add the 3rd movement of Dvorak 6!
So. Good!
Click to expand...

Great to see another Dvorak fan here. I was in Heaven when I backpacked through the Czech Republic in the fall of 2004... :cool:
 
~Shard~ said:
Great to see another Dvorak fan here. I was in Heaven when I backpacked through the Czech Republic in the fall of 2004... :cool:
Click to expand...

We didn't get a chance to go to the Dvorak museum in Prague. :( :( :mad: (Yeah, I think I will use three emoticons in a row!!)

But oo.. Dvorak, so good!
I had me a little Dvorak Violin Sonatina on my recital. So CUTE! (check it out in iTunes.)
and the serenade for winds.. oh yes.. it's good.

I need to have a Dvorak party.
and then a mendelssohn party 3 hours later.
Get some mendelssohn 3rd and 4th, with some violin concerto, and a little viola sonata action.
Mmmmm and some art songs.
 
Usually the only times I get goosebumps listening to tunes is when:

1. I haven't heard Walk Away Renee by The Left Banke in a long time and it pops up on the random iTunes shuffle or
2. I am in either a really bad or really emotionally charged mood and then I usually pop in some Trance. It's usually Allure's "No More Tears" or Delerium's "Heaven's Earth (Matt Darey Remix)" (especially the parts when the singer busts out in that blood curdling scream) or
3. I'm in a very nostalgic mood and I put on my pre-1970's playlist.
 
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