How Music Communicates a Message

Music can communicate a message in a variety of ways. Two of the most common methods are violation of expectation and ambiguity.

Violation of expectation occurs when the listener expects one thing to happen in the music, but something else happens instead. This can create a sense of surprise or suspense.

Ambiguity occurs when the music can be interpreted in multiple ways. This can create a sense of mystery or intrigue.

Here are some questions and answers about how music communicates a message:

• What are two common methods of musical communication?
• How does violation of expectation create surprise?
• How can ambiguity create mystery?

The answers to these questions are provided below.

Thank you for reading!