article · Science Advances
Researchers analysed two global audio datasets spanning dozens of languages to compare song, speech, and instrumental music. The first dataset examined 300 matched recordings of traditional songs, recited lyrics, conversation, and instrumental melodies across 55 languages. The second analysed 418 recordings of adult-directed song and speech across 16 languages. The investigation tested six preregistered predictions regarding acoustic differences. Results confirmed that, compared to speech, songs consistently exhibit higher pitch, a slower temporal rate, and more stable pitches across diverse cultures. Conversely, pitch interval sizes and timbral brightness remained similar between song and speech. Further exploratory analyses indicated that acoustic properties vary along a shared continuum across speech, recited lyrics, song, and instrumental music.
Music and speech are universal human behaviours, but whether they share structural foundations across cultures has long been debated. By establishing systematic differences and commonalities across dozens of diverse languages, this work shows that human vocal communication follows cross-cultural regularities, advancing our understanding of how music and language evolved together.
The abstract does not indicate an application pathway, as it focuses strictly on basic empirical research into acoustic regularities.
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Both music and language are found in all known human societies, yet no studies have compared similarities and differences between song, speech, and instrumental music on a global scale. In this Registered Report, we analyzed two global datasets: (i) 300 annotated audio recordings representing matched sets of traditional songs, recited lyrics, conversational speech, and instrumental melodies from our 75 coauthors speaking 55 languages; and (ii) 418 previously published adult-directed song and speech recordings from 209 individuals speaking 16 languages. Of our six preregistered predictions, five were strongly supported: Relative to speech, songs use (i) higher pitch, (ii) slower temporal rate, and (iii) more stable pitches, while both songs and speech used similar (iv) pitch interval size and (v) timbral brightness. Exploratory analyses suggest that features vary along a "musi-linguistic" continuum when including instrumental melodies and recited lyrics. Our study provides strong empirical evidence of cross-cultural regularities in music and speech.
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DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adm9797
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