Research On Heart Rate & Music

The emergence of different styles and instruments for creating music around the world indicates a universal, underlying force. In fact, there is ample scientific evidence supporting a correlation between music and human physiology, specifically changes in heart rate.

The Biology of Heart Rates

The autonomic nervous system has been consistently implicated as a major player regulating the effect of music on changes in heart rate. Through both the sympathetic and parasympathetic branches of this involuntary control system, the autonomic system responds to signals from the brain as well as circulating hormones, such as cortisol and adrenaline. The summation of these signals ultimately determines your heart rate. Evidence indicates that music plays a significant role in modulating these processes as well.

Tempo and Rhythm

Research published in the journal "Circulation" in 2009 investigated the relationship between musical variables, such as tempo and rhythm, and physiologic variables. It was found that vocal and orchestral crescendos, or gradual increases in volume, correlate with instantaneous elevations in blood pressure, heart rate and constriction of blood vessels in the skin. These observations would explain the excitement you may experience during an intense musical piece, such as a racing heart and goose bumps. The investigators hypothesize that music may convey emotional states from the brain to the entire body via these changes in the arousal of the autonomic nervous system.

Music Genre

In an article titled "The Effects of Music on the Cardiovascular System and Cardiovascular Health," researchers at the University of Bochum in Germany reported on the effects of different musical styles on heart rate. From Beethoven and Mozart to techno and metal, the investigators characterized the body's response to music by measuring hormone levels, heart activity and the rate of blood flow to the brain. Classical and meditation music were found to have the greatest health benefits, lowering levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Additionally, vocal and orchestral music was shown to produce stronger cardiovascular responses than music with a more uniform emphasis. The study noted that heavy metal and techno music have large potential to produce dangerous levels of stress and even life-threatening heart arrhythmias. This study was performed in patients recovering from heart surgery, and the researchers infer the practical implications of playing music for postoperative patients.

Sounds of Silence

To assess the potential for clinical use of music in modulating stress, a 2006 article from the journal "Heart" measured cardiovascular and respiratory variables as patients listened to different musical pieces. The researchers were interested in a number of variables artists often use in music composition, specifically the precise use of pauses. It was found that blood pressure, heart rate and lung ventilation were increased during music with fast tempos when compared to baseline or before the music was played. However, during pauses in the music, the same variables showed the opposite effect, and even decreased to levels below baseline. These effects were observed in both musicians and non-musicians, though they were significantly more pronounced in the former.

Performance vs. Perception

The emotional aspect of music is not to be ignored. Furthermore, research has shown there is a difference between the body's response to music you listen to and music you play yourself. A 2009 study from the New York Academy of Sciences reveals the importance of emotion in the cardiovascular response to music. The researchers tested 13 trained pianists under various listening and performing conditions. In some cases, the pianists were instructed to expressively perform a piece of music, while in other cases, they simply listened to music nonexpressively. The observed increase in heart rate with the former group suggests that the act of performing music has a greater effect on cardiac autonomic nerve activity compared to passively listening to music.