Taking Music Lesson To Reduce Stress
The results, which will be published in the journal Heart, are based on various aspects of breathing and circulation in 24 young men and women, which were collected before and during listening to short bursts of music.
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Each participant listened to short songs from different types of music in random order for two minutes, and then listened to the same set of songs for four minutes. A 2-minute rest was randomly introduced into each of these sequences. Participants heard raga (Indian classical music), Beethoven's Ninth Symphony (slow classical music), rapa (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Vivaldi (fast classical music), techno and Anton Webern (slow two-voice music).
Faster music and more complex rhythms speed up breathing and circulation regardless of the style, as fast classical music and techno have the same effect. But the faster the music, the greater the physiological arousal. Likewise, slower or more meditative music had the opposite effect, with raga music causing the greatest drop in heart rate.
However, all measures of resting physiological arousal fell below levels recorded before participants listened to the song.
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According to the authors, passive listening to music initially produces different levels of arousal proportional to the tempo, while a slower pace or pause leads to relaxation. Researchers believe it may help treat heart disease and strokes.
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