The Psychology of Music: Transitions

In the previous essay we talked about intensity, and the role it plays is music arranging from a psychological perspective. I suggested that intensity is an important compositional tool for organising musical sections because it gets us to think about music in a new way. Rather than focus on the specific details of the music- the sounds, tones, rhythms, melodies, harmonies, i.e the cultural features of music- we can think of these elements as part of structure organised within the framework of intensity. We arrange and think of our music as trajectories of intensity, like waves, using musical elements to heighten or lessen intensity at specific moments within our composition. Intensity is key to experiences that push people into new states of reality, facilitating flow states that transform the self through advancing states of consciousness.

 In this episode, we will talk about another important factor in the art of music arranging from a psychological perspective: transitions. We generally think of transitions as movements form one section to another, but I use it slightly differently. When I speak of transitions, I am referring to the development between two significantly different musical sections or musical landscapes. Transitions between two different musical landscapes has a certain abrupt quality, and shows an evolution in the music which is meaningful, for it establishes a development in the songs narrative that has symbolic meaning. From a psychological perspective, this means a transition into another state of consciousness that is portrayed by the musical form, and urges the audience to transform, to evolve, and to change state.

Transition symbols in ritual

At first, the symbolic use of transitions may seem odd, but it is a technique used in rituals and initiations to transform devotees into versions of their most prised gods. In religious initiations, symbols of transitions connect the material world with the immaterial spirit world, imploring a transition to occur in the consciousness of the devotees. For example, a neophyte may be asked to cross a threshold by uttering a traditional prayer which asks permission from the ancestors, and upon receiving confirmation using divination, will be asked to pull open the door and enter a new space. This new space is usually a secret room adorned with otherworldly symbols to show that the initiate has progressed into another world: the world of the spirits and ancestors. Once inside, novel actions, prayers, prostrations, and sacrifices are required, all new acts that exhibit a mixture of fear and excitement, enhanced by their performance within a novel sacred space. The transition between rooms is both a physical act and preparation for a psychological passage, a transformation between states of consciousness from the ‘normal’ state to the deified state of the cultural god.

Turner (1996, p.94) called this state the liminal, a state usually consisting of monsters and the upheaval of cultural laws and norms, an in-between state before the initiate assumes a new social responsibility and cultural identity. Many rites of passage are structured this way, with the liminal providing experiences of deities that strengthen cultural identity and initiate the devotee into a new personality. A transition symbol is used to move the devotee into the liminal, and then a second transition symbol is used to exit the liminal, what Van Gennep (1960, p.11) called integration. This is when a symbolic passage is used to bring the initiate back into the ‘normal’ world, although transformed. Symbols used at this point include the movement into another room where a celebration with the community awaits, dressing in new clothes, adornment with new icons and sacred items, or the acceptance of a new formal name. Another common transition symbol occurs in baptisms, where the initiate is transitioned into a liminal space beneath the water where it is believed the water deity exists. The water surface acts as the transition symbol from which two spaces are created.

These rituals are often accompanied by music that mimic the physical symbols and provoke the emotions into participation. These include abrupt transitions in the music which are characterised by a quick change into a new rhythm, time signature, tempo, chant, or key signature. These brash musical developments serve the ritual by reenforcing the psychological transition to be achieved, they both guide the initiate sonically while also contributing to the new musical landscape that they find themselves in. When the music aligns with an assortment of symbols, ritual acts, and prayers, it serves to create a powerful experience that has extreme psychological consequence, often overwhelming the subject and pushing them into an altered state.

We can employ these techniques in our own music, to strengthen and encourage our audiences into heightened states that fit with our own musical and cultural contexts. When done effectively, these transitions have the effect of transporting audiences into new states, into new experiences that leave them feeling alive, connected, and uplifted. Furthermore, they imbue our music with power, a power to affect people’s emotions and minds in a positive way.

Transitions function in tandem with intensity. For a transition to be effective, it must be positioned at the end of an intensity high point, when the accumulation of energy is high. This is achieved in stages, where each stage entrains the audience bit by bit, until they are captivated by the music. It is at this moment that a transition can propel audiences into a new state. This technique is an art and not a science, and there are many eternal factors that can affect it success, such as mood of participants, time of day, occasion, etc. Transitions can move into a new textural zone or rhythm, and while they are distinct landscapes and their entry is abrupt, they must not stop the flow of musical energy and intensity.

Intensity functions like a hidden snake underneath the music, imbuing the chords, rhythms, and sounds with holistic meaning and structure. It is the primary unconscious force that guides the musical details, and as intensity rises, the music must support its development, expanding it so that it moves smoothly and effortlessly. Any lack of technique or flow at this stage may hinder the snakes smooth movement, and squash all attempts and creating a height of intensity. It is the musical prowess and mastery that enables the snake to glide effortlessly until it has reached the apex of its development and can go no further. At this stage a masterful transition breaks the snake into a new realm, a new landscape of possibility that enables a new path. This offers a whole new range of possibilities that allow the snake a new pathway for increasing intensity. But to do so, the transitions must simultaneously break the flow of intensity, while also maximising it. This paradox is at the heart of the art of transformative music, for the transitions must be smooth, seamless, fluid, yet abrupt enough to evoke a change response, and shift gears into a new realm.

Once the transition is evoked, the brief dissolution of intensity is quicky reinstated as a new development of tension is initiated. Intensity is slowly enhanced again, leading us toward a second apex of intensity that was higher than the last. This can only be achieved in stages, for to arrive too quickly would lose the audience. This second ascent mimics the first but requires new energy and force that can only be achieved with novelty. This means the use of new sounds, rhythms, sub-divisions or whatever other musical tools exists in your arsenal to increase the energy towards a second apex. At the height of this second apex, a new transition often more abrupt than the first, introduces a new musical section. This second transitions builds from the first and, when achieved masterfully, can evoke a new state of consciousness. Again, the flow of intensity must not be hindered but allowed to reign in a new landscape of possibility where it can either rest, to eventually rise again.

While in it may seem that this process can be repeated over and over again, energy has it’s limit, and there is a point when the audience and musicians will exhaust their energy, limiting the flow of intensity to reach its apex. This typically occurs after two repetitions, hence why many types of ritual music and certain forms of electronic music use the structure of two intensity high points and two transition points. Ritual music that is continuous may at this stage, reduce intensity significantly or take a break for food and chatter, so that the energy of the musicians, space, and audience is regained before resuming again. This awareness is also part of the mastery of the musician who sees in his or her fellow players, the audience, and feels it in the air, that the energy has dissipated and that the only recourse is to take a break or reduce intensity significantly.

This brings us to two other factors important in the psychology of music, transformation and improvisation, which will be discussed in the next essay.

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References

Van Gennep, A., 1960. The rites of passage, trans. Monika B. Vizedom and Gabrielle L. Caffee. Chicago: Univ. of Chicago Press, 11, pp.94-95.

Turner, V., Abrahams, R. and Harris, A., 2017. The ritual process: Structure and anti-structure. Routledge.1966