How do animals interpret music and rhythm? Like this:

 

How do animals interpret music and rhythm ?

...or like this...

 

My bigger dog likes the sound of hard rock,heavy metal,or the sound of a vacuum cleaner,falls asleep like a baby.
The other smaller female,hates loud noises.

 

My cats seem to like music in some way, both the ones here as the one I have in Colom. They always come and hang out in the studio with me for a snooze or a hang. The two I have here used to sleep on a mixer I used back then or just sit and observe. I can clearly see and understand that they do perceive music not like anything we do, but it seems that some harmonies, timbres and perhaps even rhythm and logical repetition have a soothing effect of some sort. Sometimes they seem to be utterly oblivious to it, other times it seems as there is a connection of some sort. It's an enigma to me ...

 

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/03/150313-animals-music-cats-tamarins-psychology-science/

 

Andrew, I suggest you do some research on the Indian (from India) Ragas music. For some reason animals are drawn to it. In fact I can attest to this, I played some Ragas once or twice in my bedroom years ago and it was the only music which attracted birds to come and sit on the windowsill/ledge - seeing that blew me away! Books like this one might be helpful to learn about the connections the ancients seemed to have between humans making music and animals. I do think your research should lie in the ancient historical beginnings of music. The ancients must have known about the sounds that attracted animals or caused some animal activity. Snake-charming for instance should be looked into. Did ancient native Americans and Africans develop drumming in connection with hunting, and ancient flute music, was that developed as a result of knowing that some birds or small animals responded to it. And thee is the water-drumming from Africa I think. This journey might reveal the answers you're looking for. Very interesting topic

 

Andrew, I really have no idea how another species might interpret human music. Many humans cannot even interpret, for instance, a John Cage piece, certain obscure or experimental composers. My dog Marley, at least in my observation, seems nonplussed by my guitar playing. I don't take it personally though. In this instance it might be of benefit to define what music is as some folks just hear cacophonic nonsense where another might contemplate brilliance. Rhythm might be more inclined to hop aboard certain species appreciation freight train while others ride the interval bus.

On the other hand, I have been mesmerized by other species, primarily humpback whales singing off of the coast of Maui during their 10,000 strong gatherings in order to give birth to their calves and to harvest the bounty from the food rich blue waters in the Auʻau Channel and around the other side of the island in the winter months. My whole body would vibrate sympathetically as their 80 hertz low end would slam into me, an experience that is nothing short of just incredible and unforgettable. However, I never attempted to interpret their songs as many scientists and musicologists attempt to do. Also, I like to on occasion sing with birds in the morning, trying to mimick their tunes in an attempt of call and repeat, but haven't had one try to mimic mine outside of a few parrots that I have known. I always hope but am never rewarded.

 

I think that Miles was the coolest cat that there ever was. Maybe there is something to that in the explanation of Jasmin's feline tail twitch.

 

Am not certain about the universality or cosmological implications but even some forms Terrestrial of oceanic life ( mainly Cephalopods ) can respond visibly in the time domain when stimulated by rhythm and pitch. Many oceanic mammalia use long fixed pitch wails and sharp clicks as a means of communication (whale songs, or seal moots) it is part of their basic social structure and translates into communicative ritual.

For Terrestrial beings it seems that musical plays a social role at first, but as far as objective interpretations of actual thoughts, that maybe a bit more than what any of use can actual deduce at the moment. Everyone can take their best guess and state an opinion but the truth is ... nobody knows.

As far as the universe and the cosmos are concerned and alien life from outer space is concerned, that seems an even more dubious matter to be taking guesses on.

 

Ha, ha. Never thought about it that way. You might be on to something. I'm gonna tell my wife what you said. She too, had been puzzled by Jasmin's inexplicable attraction to the man's music.

 

These are my 2 cats. The top one is Buddy II (aka Prince Budman II) & the bottom one is Piper. They both occasionally chill next to my amplifier until I turn it on & start rocking out. But I don't have any pics of them like that because I don't usually snap photos. They will often chill with me in the studio & they step all over my piano sometimes. They like my music. I can tell because they seem to just chill to the ambient stuff & walk around to the rock stuff, & so on.
Buddy II is the same cat as seen in my avatar.

 

Music for Cows!

Here's a short interesting article:

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2001/01/0105biomusic.html

Is this little guy just stuck or is he...



As a side note i am loving seeing everyone's pets !!!

 

Last edited by a moderator: Jul 28, 2016

Interesting stuff > here. music for elephants.

 

Living in Switzerland, you can't go too far without running into a bunch of dairy cows, and since I have been here I always make it a habit to do something musical for my bovine neighbors that get cooped up in their barn. And to append my earlier post, I will go on to say that I anthropomorphise the ability of the cows that I tend to visit, as well as goats, horses and sometimes even chickens (they always seem too busy to really listen but never hold back with the criticism). I sing them songs or play the harmonica, and much the same way as I do when performing in front of an audience or recording a part in the studio, visualize the story and try to project it psychically to better get my point accross. Ever since reading Dr. Doolittle as a child I wished that I too could talk to the animals, and I do, I just don't know how they "get it". I always have had animals in my immediate family and the love we have shared is demonstrably real, showing in the reciprocation of trust and shared heart felt joy when in each others company, but musically there to me seems to me vast differences in the way we show our appreciation. Since finding this adorable tiny black cat at an animal shelter, for 13 glorious years the cat Jojo was a best friend. He understood everything that I said to him, was much more like a dog in the fact that he would walk with me everywhere, waiting patiently outside of stores until I came back out and was always at my side unless he was sleeping outside under the bushes in the garden. However close our relationship though, he just never got my music. I wrote a song about him after his passing, and although has music dedicated in his memory and honor, would not appreciate the song itself but surly would the sentiment.

 

Well, one of my cats seem to love bass... When i'm playing bass on keyboard, he gets so curious with the sound it makes, he also start playing the keys...
On the other hand, when i play guitar close to him, he runs away...
Just sharing... ;)

 

Monkeys be like . . .

 

As far as i know, in some farms, they play classic music all day long and they get more milk from the cows.Another thing (although is a bit off topic) parrots don't have their own "language" as other birds do.So they "speak" the language they learn from their surrounding species.That's why they learn our language too.

 

Sounds as though your cat digs low notes. What happens when you play the lower notes on your guitar, same reaction? I thinks some animals may not particularly be enamored with sounds from the upper scale? Of course, only wild speculation on my part. Interesting though...

 

Maybe it's just me, but wasn't Jenny's butt a little bigger 'back' in the day? Seems all that exercise has trimmed her ample 'Ponderosa' down a bit. 'Still' a "Bonanza" though... (Early TV show reference). <lol>

 

Hello!! It´s a joke

 

Last edited: Jul 28, 2016