Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Lifestyle

What is it about some music that makes it sound sad?

A teenage girl listening to music
Melody and misery … how does music affect and reflect human emotion? Photograph: Image Source/Getty Images

What is it about some music that makes it sound sad? Why does our brain hear a combination of notes in a chord, or series of chords, that makes us feel sad? Would someone who had never heard music before hear this sad quality?

Karen Hill, London

• Post your answers – and new questions – below or email them tonq@theguardian.com. Please include name, address and phone number

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.