
The few minor errors, attributable to the printer, have been corrected. Please see the transcriber’s note at the end of this text for details regarding the handling of any textual issues encountered during its preparation.
PREFACE
Chapter IWHY DO WE LOVE MUSIC?
Chapter IIMUSIC BEFORE THE AGE OF SIX
Chapter IIIMUSIC BETWEEN THE AGES OF SIX AND TEN
Chapter IVMUSIC AND YOUTH
Chapter VTHE MUSICAL TEMPERAMENT
Chapter VIMUSICAL INHERITANCE
Chapter VIITHE FUTURE OF MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
CHAPTER VIIIPRAISE AND BLAME IN MUSIC
This work tackles one of the most enduring puzzles of human experience: why music moves us so deeply. Drawing on decades of psychological research, the author weaves together laboratory findings, anecdotal observations, and thoughtful speculation to outline the mental and emotional mechanisms that make melody and rhythm irresistible. The tone remains conversational, inviting listeners to follow the reasoning without demanding specialized knowledge.
The chapters trace music’s impact from early childhood, when sound first intertwines with language and play, through the formative years of school and adolescence, and into adulthood’s more nuanced aesthetic judgments. Topics such as innate musical temperament, the role of family and education, and even the future evolution of instruments are explored, each anchored in concrete examples and clear explanations. Readers are encouraged to consider how their own musical preferences may reflect broader psychological patterns.
Overall, the book offers a balanced blend of scientific insight and accessible narrative, prompting listeners to reflect on the personal and universal reasons we all seem to love music.
Language
en
Duration
~3 hours (179K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Original publisher
United States: Oliver Ditson Co., 1941.
Credits
Guus Snijders, Tim Lindell and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This book was produced from images made available by the HathiTrust Digital Library.)
Release date
2021-11-30
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1866–1949
A pioneering psychologist and educator, he helped shape the study of musical talent and spent decades building graduate education at the University of Iowa. His work connected science, art, and learning in ways that still feel fresh.
View all books
by Sigmund Freud

by Sigmund Freud

by Basil King

by Wilhelm Max Wundt

by Nathaniel Bright Emerson

by Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov

by Hector Berlioz

by Gustave Le Bon