Culture, not genes, shapes our musical taste

For decades, neuro scientists have pondered whether this preference is somehow hardwired into our brains. A new study from MIT and Brandeis University suggests that the answer is no.

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In a study of more than 100 people belonging to a remote Amazonian tribe with little or no exposure to Western music, the researchers found that dissonant chords such as the combination of C and F sharp were rated just as likeable as “consonant” chords, which feature simple integer ratios between the acoustical frequencies of the two notes.

“This study suggests that preferences for consonance over dissonance depend on exposure to Western musical culture, and that the preference is not innate,” said researcher Josh McDermott of MIT.

The study appears in Nature.