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A Historical Overview of Music and Mood Regulation

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Why Are We Attracted to Sad Music?

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Abstract

Belief in the influence of music on mood is not a recent concept. In fact, it is found in ancient cultures from many parts of the world. In this chapter, Garrido provides an overview of the beliefs surrounding the power of music to influence mood and health throughout history, revealing that health practitioners have long understood the importance of considering individual differences in ‘prescribing’ music to address affective disturbances and the possibility for music to have a negative impact if it is used wrongly.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    The ancient Greek modes differed from the similarly named church modes that became dominant in the medieval period.

  2. 2.

    Monteverdi mistakenly says that the words he uses come from Plato’s On Rhetoric.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. MARCS Institute for Brain Behaviour and Development, Western Sydney University, Milperra, NSW, Australia

    Sandra Garrido

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  1. Sandra Garrido
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Garrido, S. (2017). A Historical Overview of Music and Mood Regulation. In: Why Are We Attracted to Sad Music?. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-39666-8_5

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