Music is a universal language. Several studies have shown that animals, plants, and even babies in their mother's womb love the sound of music. The effect music has on us as individuals are indescribable. Suppose you probably find yourself in traffic, in the market, or in a noisy environment; the sound experienced in such places, called noise, is always repulsive and something you do not like most.
Noise happens due to the collision of different frequencies, and when you find yourself in these places, you often do not like the disturbance. On another side, a feeling comes when different frequencies are put together to produce sonically pleasing melodies; that is what music is all about. This is generally not new to us.
While noise exists to serve as an annoying disturbance, music exists to appeal to us. People respond to music based on their familiarity with the sound and predictable lyrics and sound patterns. This article will guide you in learning how to make music that communicates with the heart.
Before explaining how to make music that heals the heart, you need to understand the psychology and science behind music and why it makes us feel the way we feel.
1. Predictability: When people listen to your music for the first time, their brains try to find the pattern and rhythm that matches their current tastes. Every beat comes on with a tempo. The brain checks what a listener is listening to and compares it with existing patterns in their brain, creating a feeling of entertainment.
Understanding the principle of predictability will help you make music that taps into the mind of people hence improving your ability to make music that heals. To understand this better as a music maker, look at many of the algorithms in streaming services today. When you play a particular type of music you love, the algorithm starts to sort for music with a similar tempo and sound because it knows that is what your brain wants.
2. Feelings: The dopamine released when listeners listen to music can make them feel strong emotions, evoke old memories, and bring chills. Feelings are the essential principle to play around with if you must make music that speaks to the soul and heart of listeners. The power to write lyrics that paint pictures and make a listener feel they are not alone is a tool in the hands of any music producer or writer.
Have you ever wondered why people sometimes vibe to songs in languages they don't understand or why people run to sad music when they are unhappy? Feelings! The beat of a particular song evokes feelings of happiness, sadness, or a neutral vibe. That explains why music therapy works; the instrumental or music a listener listens to can make them feel relaxed, happy, or sad when listening to it.
3. Relatability: Music is the language of the soul and expresses the feelings we can't say. It has a way of channeling bottled-up emotions. For perspective, if you are probably feeling sad and have a friend who comes along to tell you, "come on, I feel sad too. But everything will be okay." He shares his sad tales with you; that way, you become closer to the person and can even open up to the person more about what you are going through; that is how music works.
In this case, music is not a person; listeners listen to relatable music that expresses how they feel. Relatability explains why you can roll back a song because you missed a part or scream louder when you get to a position to which you can relate.
The psychology behind the music is broad enough to cover in one piece. It goes beyond understanding why a lullaby can make a baby fall asleep or stay happy. Digesting more materials in psychology will give you a better understanding. Here are seven ways to make music that heals.
1. Choose a Topic: Choosing a topic or theme for your music is necessary for giving it the right direction. It helps you streamline your song’s goal and prevents you from writing vaguely. Suitable topics that affect the heart include love, heartbreak, difficult times, and depression.
2. Catchy Phrases: Ensure there are catchy phrases in your music that serve as hooks that can ignite the listener's imagination and catch something in their memories. For example, you sometimes hear singers mention "the way his hands" and "lover that I lost" Try to make the lyrics relatable and catchy for listeners, and you will capture their hearts.
3. Samples: Sampling involves reusing parts of a song to make another one. Learn to reuse suitable music to improve your craft as a music maker. For example, when you want to make music that heals the heart, there is an extensive collection of them across history. Taking cues from them in creating your song will help you create something great.
4. Beats: The pattern and rhythm listeners look out for a while listening to your music is known as the beat. The beat dictates the message you are passing; your ability to select the perfect beat to give your healing message is essential. Most emotional songs play around beats on the minor key, while the happy ones play around the primary keys. This little detail can sometimes be the missing piece in your jigsaw.
5. Emotions: Emotions bring life into your music and make the music breathe. It is not new to see singers sound like the music is moving them to tears, or the experience they are describing drives them crazy as they scream at the top of their voices. That is the art of emotions; learn to infuse emotion not just into your lyrics and beats but also into the actions that embody your music.
6. Setting the Atmosphere: If the music you are making doesn't pass the right message to its listeners, all the effort you have put in will be a waste of time. Therefore, the right atmosphere must be created when listeners turn up your music. Setting an atmosphere can involve, Creating the feeling of suspense when needed, adding conversations or fights between lovers, or even a short recording of a real-life experience of the music your music is about.
7. Vulnerability: Be as vulnerable as possible, and ensure your listeners understand what it means not to be alone. It is easier to achieve this when your music is mostly about things you have been through and listeners can relate to. Describe in detail so listeners can connect their experiences with yours; that way, your music will be a healing prescription.
With a new understanding of the psychology of why music makes us feel the way we feel and listed guidelines to make music that heals, you need to get back to the drawing board and make music based on the gems mentioned here. Emphasize how relatable your music can be and ensure you simultaneously set a good atmosphere for your music. If you follow these steps, you will be a musical heart surgeon in no time.
Tunedly is your go-to online music studio, music publisher, and masked music discovery service. Tunedly connects songwriters and music creators to some of the world’s most talented session musicians to create professional-sounding music and help you gain exposure through music publishing opportunities.
