Skip to main content
Top
Published in:
Cover of the book

2019 | OriginalPaper | Chapter

Does the Y-Model for Language Work for Music?

Author : Oriol Quintana

Published in: Language, Music and Computing

Publisher: Springer International Publishing

Activate our intelligent search to find suitable subject content or patents.

search-config
loading …

Abstract

The four main modules of the classic model for the faculty of language postulated in generative linguistics—lexicon, syntax, phonology/prosody and semantics—have been hypothesized to each have a (more or less abstract) equivalent module in the faculty of music. This hypothesis suggests that it should be possible to explain the way these modules interact—represented by the inverted-Y form of the model—in a similar fashion. I propose a refinement of Katz and Pesetsky’s (2011) hypothesis by suggesting that there are a number of common properties shared by the lexical systems of music and language, and it is precisely this that explains some of their fundamental syntactic similarities. What makes the two systems different is not primitively the properties of their lexical modules, but rather the radically different nature of their respective interpretive modules—semantics in the case of language (or, technically, the conceptual-intentional system), and the Tonal-Harmonic Component (THC) in the case of music.

Dont have a licence yet? Then find out more about our products and how to get one now:

Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik"

Online-Abonnement

Mit Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik" erhalten Sie Zugriff auf:

  • über 102.000 Bücher
  • über 537 Zeitschriften

aus folgenden Fachgebieten:

  • Automobil + Motoren
  • Bauwesen + Immobilien
  • Business IT + Informatik
  • Elektrotechnik + Elektronik
  • Energie + Nachhaltigkeit
  • Finance + Banking
  • Management + Führung
  • Marketing + Vertrieb
  • Maschinenbau + Werkstoffe
  • Versicherung + Risiko

Jetzt Wissensvorsprung sichern!

Springer Professional "Technik"

Online-Abonnement

Mit Springer Professional "Technik" erhalten Sie Zugriff auf:

  • über 67.000 Bücher
  • über 390 Zeitschriften

aus folgenden Fachgebieten:

  • Automobil + Motoren
  • Bauwesen + Immobilien
  • Business IT + Informatik
  • Elektrotechnik + Elektronik
  • Energie + Nachhaltigkeit
  • Maschinenbau + Werkstoffe




 

Jetzt Wissensvorsprung sichern!

Springer Professional "Wirtschaft"

Online-Abonnement

Mit Springer Professional "Wirtschaft" erhalten Sie Zugriff auf:

  • über 67.000 Bücher
  • über 340 Zeitschriften

aus folgenden Fachgebieten:

  • Bauwesen + Immobilien
  • Business IT + Informatik
  • Finance + Banking
  • Management + Führung
  • Marketing + Vertrieb
  • Versicherung + Risiko




Jetzt Wissensvorsprung sichern!

Footnotes
1
All three examples are taken from Jackendoff and Lerdahl (2006), p. 41 and 56.
 
2
See Katz (2017) for a proposal of what kind of conditions may the THC impose to the syntactic structures of music for a proper tonal interpretation.
 
Literature
go back to reference Adger, D.: Core Syntax. Oxford University Press, Oxford (2003) Adger, D.: Core Syntax. Oxford University Press, Oxford (2003)
go back to reference Arbib, M.A. (ed.): Language, Music, and the Brain. A Mysterious Relationship. MIT Press, Cambridge (2013) Arbib, M.A. (ed.): Language, Music, and the Brain. A Mysterious Relationship. MIT Press, Cambridge (2013)
go back to reference Bernstein, L.: The Unanswered Question. Six talks at Harvard. Harvard University Press, Cambridge (1976) Bernstein, L.: The Unanswered Question. Six talks at Harvard. Harvard University Press, Cambridge (1976)
go back to reference Chomsky, N.: The Minimalist Program. MIT Press, Cambridge (1995)MATH Chomsky, N.: The Minimalist Program. MIT Press, Cambridge (1995)MATH
go back to reference Fitch, W.T.: The biology and evolution of music: a comparative perspective. Cognition 100, 173–215 (2006)CrossRef Fitch, W.T.: The biology and evolution of music: a comparative perspective. Cognition 100, 173–215 (2006)CrossRef
go back to reference Fodor, J.A.: The Modularity of Mind. MIT Press, Cambridge (1983) Fodor, J.A.: The Modularity of Mind. MIT Press, Cambridge (1983)
go back to reference Giblin, I.: Music and the Generative Enterprise. University of New South Wales, Sydney (2008) Giblin, I.: Music and the Generative Enterprise. University of New South Wales, Sydney (2008)
go back to reference Grodzinsky, Y.: Neural substrates for linguistic and musical abilities: a neurolinguist’s perspective. In: Toivonen, I., Csúri, P., Van der Zee, E. (eds.) Structures in the Mind: Essays on Language, Music, and Cognition in Honor of Ray Jackendoff, pp. 325–346. MIT Press, Cambridge (2015) Grodzinsky, Y.: Neural substrates for linguistic and musical abilities: a neurolinguist’s perspective. In: Toivonen, I., Csúri, P., Van der Zee, E. (eds.) Structures in the Mind: Essays on Language, Music, and Cognition in Honor of Ray Jackendoff, pp. 325–346. MIT Press, Cambridge (2015)
go back to reference Jackendoff, R.: Parallels and nonparallels between language and music. Music Percept. 26(3), 195–204 (2009)CrossRef Jackendoff, R.: Parallels and nonparallels between language and music. Music Percept. 26(3), 195–204 (2009)CrossRef
go back to reference Jackendoff, R., Lerdahl, F.: The capacity for music: what is it, and what’s special about it? Cognition 100, 33–72 (2006)CrossRef Jackendoff, R., Lerdahl, F.: The capacity for music: what is it, and what’s special about it? Cognition 100, 33–72 (2006)CrossRef
go back to reference Katz, J.: Exceptional cadential chords and the nature of tonic-marking. In: Halpert, C., Kotek, H., van Urk, C. (eds.) A Pesky Set: A festschrift for David Pesetsky, pp. 447–456. MIT Working Papers in Linguistics, Cambridge (2017) Katz, J.: Exceptional cadential chords and the nature of tonic-marking. In: Halpert, C., Kotek, H., van Urk, C. (eds.) A Pesky Set: A festschrift for David Pesetsky, pp. 447–456. MIT Working Papers in Linguistics, Cambridge (2017)
go back to reference Lerdahl, F., Jackendoff, R.: A Generative Theory of Tonal Music. MIT Press, Cambridge (1983) Lerdahl, F., Jackendoff, R.: A Generative Theory of Tonal Music. MIT Press, Cambridge (1983)
go back to reference McMullen, E., Saffran, J.R.: Music and language: a developmental comparison. Music Percept. 21(3), 289–311 (2004)CrossRef McMullen, E., Saffran, J.R.: Music and language: a developmental comparison. Music Percept. 21(3), 289–311 (2004)CrossRef
go back to reference Patel, A.D.: Music, Language, and the Brain. Oxford University Press, Oxford (2008) Patel, A.D.: Music, Language, and the Brain. Oxford University Press, Oxford (2008)
go back to reference Rebuschat, P., Rohrmeier, M., Hawkins, J.A., Cross, I. (eds.): Language and Music as Cognitive Systems. Oxford University Press, Oxford (2012) Rebuschat, P., Rohrmeier, M., Hawkins, J.A., Cross, I. (eds.): Language and Music as Cognitive Systems. Oxford University Press, Oxford (2012)
go back to reference Rohrmeier, M.: A generative grammar approach to diatonic harmonic structure. In: Sound and Music Computing Conference, Lefkada, Greece, pp. 97–100 (2007) Rohrmeier, M.: A generative grammar approach to diatonic harmonic structure. In: Sound and Music Computing Conference, Lefkada, Greece, pp. 97–100 (2007)
go back to reference Rohrmeier, M.: Towards a generative syntax of tonal harmony. J. Math. Music 5(1), 35–53 (2011)CrossRef Rohrmeier, M.: Towards a generative syntax of tonal harmony. J. Math. Music 5(1), 35–53 (2011)CrossRef
Metadata
Title
Does the Y-Model for Language Work for Music?
Author
Oriol Quintana
Copyright Year
2019
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-05594-3_1

Premium Partner