Are Humoresques Humorous? On the Similarity Between Laughter and Staccato

Abstract

Two studies are reported testing the conjecture that certain musical sounds or musical works may emulate the punctuated sound (ha-ha-ha) of human laughter. In the first study, 25 participants were instructed to adjust the tempo and duty cycle (articulation) of simple tone sequences to produce the most laughter-like sound. The adjusted tempos were consistent across participants but slower than measures of actual human laughter. The adjusted duty cycles were comparable to those evident in human laughter. In the second study, comedic-related musical compositions (including humoresques, badineries, and Scherzos) were compared with similar-tempo works by the same composers. It is shown that humoresques contain more staccato passages. However, these detached articulations are not more likely to be isochronous as might be expected if emulating human laughter. Overall, the results provide mixed evidence consistent with the idea that composers emulate laughter when composing certain kinds of humorous passages.

Music as an evolved tool for socio-affective fiction

“…However, the results showed that participants adjusted the tones to be slower and longer than human laughter (Trevor and Huron, 2019). The authors conjectured that the longer, slower version of laughter was akin to "fake" laughter, such as that used in opera (Bryant & Aktipis, 2014;Lavan et al, 2016;Provine, 2001Provine, , 2008Trevor & Huron, 2019). These results further strengthen the notion that musical copies of vocal sounds are meant to communicate clearly that they are not the true vocal sound.…”

“…Participants were asked to adjust the speed (tempo) and duration (articulation) of repeating instrumental tones to sound the most like human laughter with the hypothesis that participants would make adjustments similar to reported speeds and durations of actual human laughter (Trevor and Huron, 2019). However, the results showed that participants adjusted the tones to be slower and longer than human laughter (Trevor and Huron, 2019). The authors conjectured that the longer, slower version of laughter was akin to "fake" laughter, such as that used in opera (Bryant & Aktipis, 2014;Lavan et al, 2016;Provine, 2001Provine, , 2008Trevor & Huron, 2019).…”

Sex and drugs and rock and roll

“…In music, sighs are mimicked by a falling narrow melodic motion with a decreasing loudness, a standard device in Western classical music used to signal grief to the listener (Monelle, 2000). Music has also been found to imitate the staccato acoustic profile of laughter, a credible signal found in both humans and many animal species , when communicating humor (Trevor & Huron, 2018). These instances of credible signals in contemporary music are indicative of the continued presence of biologically rooted credible signals in music today, extending the reach of Mehr and colleagues' theory to present day music.…”

Musicians Can Reliably Discriminate Between String Register Locations on the Violoncello

“…Research on music and emotion has frequently suggested that musical expressive behaviors often parallel and take inspiration from vocal expressive behaviors (Huron, 2015;Huron & Trevor, 2016;Juslin & Laukka, 2003;Trevor et al, 2020;Trevor & Huron, 2018;Warrenburg, 2019). Could musicians mimic vocal ethological signals associated with range location?…”