Can You Make a Happy Song Sad?

Difficulty
Time Required	Average (6-10 days)
Prerequisites	You should know how to convert a simple song from a major key to a minor key, or know an experienced musician or music teacher who can help you with the conversions.
Material Availability	Readily available
Cost	Very Low (under $20)
Safety	No issues

*Note: This is an abbreviated Project Idea, without notes to start your background research, a specific list of materials, or a procedure for how to do the experiment. You can identify abbreviated Project Ideas by the asterisk at the end of the title. If you want a Project Idea with full instructions, please pick one without an asterisk.

Abstract

Are there some songs that always make you feel sad when you hear them? How about "Scarborough Fair," George Gershwin's "Summertime," or the Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby"? All of these songs are in a minor key. Minor keys have more intervals, or halftones, than major keys do. Some musicologists (people who study music) maintain that minor-key songs are more likely to be perceived as sad, while major-key songs are more likely to be interpreted as happy. You can research the competing explanations about why this would be true. But do you think the statement is accurate? Do songs in a minor key seem sadder than those in a major key? You can conduct your own research to find out by playing or singing the same songs (or recording and playing back later) in a major and a minor key. If you don't know how to convert a song from one type of key to another, ask a more experienced musician or a music teacher for help. Have your audience fill out a survey about how happy or sad they feel each version of the song is. For help designing your survey, read the Science Buddies guide to Designing a Survey.

Are you planning to do a project from Science Buddies?

Come back and tell us about your project using the “I Did This Project” link for the project you choose.

You’ll find a link to “I Did This Project” on every project on the Science Buddies website so don’t forget to share your story!

Got it Remind me later

Cite This Page

MLA Style

Science Buddies Staff. "Can You Make a Happy Song Sad?" Science Buddies. Science Buddies, 28 July 2017. Web. 20 Apr. 2018 <https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project-ideas/Music_p018/music/perception-happy-song-sad>

APA Style

Science Buddies Staff. (2017, July 28). Can You Make a Happy Song Sad?. Retrieved April 20, 2018 from https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project-ideas/Music_p018/music/perception-happy-song-sad

Last edit date: 2017-07-28

Bibliography

This website offers an introduction to what makes a sad song seem sad:

Exploratorium. (n.d.). What Makes Sad Music Sound Sad? Accidental Scientist: Science of Music. Retrieved October 14, 2008, from http://www.exploratorium.edu/music/questions/sadMusic.html

News Feed on This Topic

, ,

Note: A computerized matching algorithm suggests the above articles. It's not as smart as you are, and it may occasionally give humorous, ridiculous, or even annoying results! Learn more about the News Feed

Ask an Expert

The Ask an Expert Forum is intended to be a place where students can go to find answers to science questions that they have been unable to find using other resources. If you have specific questions about your science fair project or science fair, our team of volunteer scientists can help. Our Experts won't do the work for you, but they will make suggestions, offer guidance, and help you troubleshoot.

Ask an Expert

If you like this project, you might enjoy exploring these related careers:

Psychologist

Why people take certain actions can often feel like a mystery. Psychologists help solve these mysteries by investigating the physical, cognitive, emotional, or social aspects of human behavior and the human mind. Some psychologists also apply these findings in order to design better products or to help people change their behaviors. Read more

Anthropologist

Where do we come from? Why do we walk upright? Why do we behave the way we do? These are just some of the big and fascinating questions that anthropologists try to answer. Anthropologists study all aspects of human life, in every region of the world, throughout all time. They might focus on everything from present-day cultures and human behavior, traditions, and prehistoric cultures to the biology and evolution of humans, or the origin and evolution of language. Read more

News Feed on This Topic

, ,

Note: A computerized matching algorithm suggests the above articles. It's not as smart as you are, and it may occasionally give humorous, ridiculous, or even annoying results! Learn more about the News Feed

Looking for more science fun?

Try one of our science activities for quick, anytime science explorations. The perfect thing to liven up a rainy day, school vacation, or moment of boredom.

Find an Activity

Can You Make a Happy Song Sad? *

Abstract