That the music It is an omnipresent background in human life is a fact and that is that simplifying over time, as well. This is at least the conclusion to which the study conducted by a team of researchers from theLa Sapienza University of Rome and of theUniversity of Paduawhere something like 20,000 compositions of various genresincluding classic, jazz, rock, pop, hip-hop and electronics. The data show a constant drop in musical complexity, with increasingly predictable and repetitive structures. This trend can be found not only in the most recent genres, but also in classical and jazz music itself, historically characterized by more elaborate harmonic structures. Among the main factors of this change emerge the democratization of musical production, access to advanced technologies and the role of streaming algorithms, that seem to favor simpler and more immediate songs. The question is open: are we witnessing a musical impoverishment or a natural adaptation in the new times and new methods of consumption of music?
The simplification process of music: increasingly repetitive melodies
If we look at the history of music, we notice how in the past the compositions were often characterized by articulated structures, complex harmonies and a wide variety of transitions between the notes. Think about Beethoven’s works or to the jazz songs of Coltrane and Davis: their melodic wealth translated into a varied and stratified listening experience. On the contrary, today successful songs tend to be built around few repeated noteswith easily memorizable refrains and simpler harmonic patterns. To scientifically verify this perception, the researchers of theLa Sapienza University of Rome and of theUniversity of Padua have applied tools of the Networksa field that studies the connections and interactions within complex systems, represented every composition as a network in which the notes were nodes and the transitions between them formed connections, thus measuring its variety and structural complexity.
The results are clear: in recent decades the variety of transitions Among the notes has decreased, and the songs tend to present one greater repetitiveness. If classical music and jazz still maintain a higher complexity than pop, rock and hip-hop, these historical genres are also undergoing an evident simplification process. For example, in contemporary classical music there is a lower variety in the Harmonic transitions Compared to the past, while in jazz there is a tendency to reduce the melodic variations. On the contrary, more “mainstream” genres such as pop and rock show strongly structures repetitivecharacterized by a high level of reciprocity in the notes, or by the tendency to reuse the same intervals and the same progressions.
Because the songs become simpler
But what are the causes of this transformation? A first factor is certainly thetechnological evolution. At one time, musical creation required in -depth skills and specific instruments, while anyone can produce a track using a computer and software today. This “democratization” made music more accessible, but has also favored the adoption of simpler structures, often guided by the possibilities offered by digital tools. In addition, the music industry has changed deeply with the advent of streaming. Platforms like Spotify, Apple Music And YouTube Musicuse algorithms To suggest songs to users, and these systems often reward the most immediate and catchy songs. A song with a simple and repetitive refrain is more likely to be listened to several times, increasing its diffusion and thus triggering a vicious circle (or virtuous, depends on the points of view) that leads users to prefer simple and direct songs.
Another aspect to consider is the growing speed with which the contents are consumed. Do this: theattention of the public (all of us including, none excluded) is increasingly fragmented, and successful hits tend to conquer the listener in the first seconds and to have a shorter “useful life” than the songs of the past, some of whom still live today. This led manufacturers to privilege essential structures, with easy melodies to remember and engaging rhythms.
We could say, therefore, that the musical simplification It is not necessarily a defect, but rather a adaptation to the new methods of musical use. Moreover, even in the past songs with relatively simple harmonies have had a huge impact: just think of Beatleswho created masterpieces without necessarily resorting to complex structures.
What is the future of music
The question that arises spontaneously at this point, however, is: where will this trend take us? If music continues to simplify, will we get to a point where innovation will be limited? Or will we witness a return of complexity, as a natural reaction to current repetitiveness? It is difficult to make predictions at the moment, especially considering the fact that the musical market heavily influenced it will also be theartificial intelligence.
