Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • News Feature
  • Published:

Neurobiology

Music, maestro, please!

Nature volume 416, pages 12–14 (2002) Cite this article

View saved research

Neuroscientists are starting to discover how our brains process music. This involves distinct neural circuits, but a mystery remains. Why are melody, harmony and rhythm so important to us? Alison Abbott tunes in.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Access through your institution

Buy this article

  • Purchase on SpringerLink
  • Instant access to the full article PDF.

USD 39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1: Musical information is relayed from the thalamus to the auditory cortex, which is split either side of the brain.

Explore related subjects

Discover the latest articles and news in related subjects.

References

  1. Pinker, S. How the Mind Works (Norton, New York, 1997).

  2. Zatorre, R. J., Evans, A. C. & Meyer, E. J. Neurosci. 14, 1908–1919 (1994).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Zatorre, R. J., Belin, P. & Penhune, V. B. Trends Cogn. Sci. 6, 37–46 (2002).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Peretz, I. in Music and Emotion: Theory and Research (eds Juslin, P. & Sloboda, J.) 105–134 (Oxford Univ. Press, 2001).

  5. Ayotte, J., Peretz, I. & Hyde, K. Brain 125, 238–251 (2002).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Peretz, I. et al. Neuron 33, 185–191 (2002).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Zatorre, R. J., Halpern, A. R., Perry, D. W., Meyer, E. & Evans, A. C. J. Cogn. Neurosci. 8, 29–46 (1996).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Pantev, C. et al. Nature 392, 811–814 (1998).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Pantev, C., Roberts, L. E., Schulz, M., Engelien, A. & Ross, B. NeuroReport 12, 169–174 (2001).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Elbert, T., Pantev, C., Wienbruch, C., Rockstroh, B. & Taub, E. Science 270, 305–307 (1995).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Amunts, K. et al. Hum. Brain Mapping 5, 206–215 (1997).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Elbert, T. et al. NeuroReport 16, 3571–3575 (1998).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Drayna, D., Manichaikul, A., de Lange, M., Snieder, H. & Spector, T. Science 291, 1969–1972 (2001).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Blood, A. J., Zatorre, R. J., Bermudez, P. & Evans, A. C. Nature Neurosci. 2, 382–387 (1999).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Blood, A. J. & Zatorre, R. J. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 98, 11818–11823 (2001).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nature's senior European correspondent,

    Alison Abbott

Authors
  1. Alison Abbott
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Abbott, A. Music, maestro, please!. Nature 416, 12–14 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1038/416012a

Download citation

  • Issue date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/416012a

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing