DEYRN writes:
I am intrigued that if we listen to a scale or a piece of music and suddenly a note that doesn't belong to that scale or to that piece of music is played, we wince ! Is this a universal trait or is it part of our social upbringing?
I don't think such a thing would be a universal trait. But neither can it be attributed only to a social upbringing. I think it will likely be one of those unsatisfying "a bit of both" answers.
Appreciation of music is a subjective thing. I'm sure there's plenty of music that you wince at that thrives as someone elses favourite, and vice versa. In this sense, I can understand that there would never be any "universal" judgment on any piece of music being good or bad.
Of course, there certainly is the pattern-recognition side of things. Pretty much everyone knows of the Happy Birthday song, and I agree that pretty much everyone would wince at a wrong note during such a song. Such wincing would be a part of our social upbringing and what we have been taught. But
everyone?
Universally? I hesitiate to make such an all-encompasing claim on something as subjective as music appreciation.
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