Introduction For the most part, the process by which the human brain is able to perceive and translate music into neural impulses is still a mystery. Though a few attempts have been made to isolate the particular locations in the brain that play a role in music perception and processing, research in this area has not been extensive and findings are somewhat inconclusive. Different theories have been proposed to explain how we perceive and remember pitches, tones, and intervals, but these hypotheses require an in depth understanding of technical terms and concepts that are not explained in this general overview. This section will endeavor to provide a comprehensive summary of the information that is available concerning musical function, the specialization of cerebral hemispheres in relation to music perception in the brain, and the internalization of rhythm in the brain. Basics of Sound Sound is composed of pitch, loudness, and timbre.
Pitch corresponds to the fundamental frequency of the sound being perceived.
Loudness, or intensity, is a perceptual dimesion of sound that is the function of the degree to which the condensations and rarefications of air differ from each other. Timbre refers to the complexity of a sound and this is determined by the unique blend of frquencies of vibrations that compose a particular sound. Combinations of tones and rhythms in connection with these three levels creates what we know as melody and harmony. Most of us as musical listeners, have certain expectations concerning the way music sounds. These expectations are almost intuitive, based on our previous experiences with music.