What makes a tune in tune?
 

This is something I regularly ponder, especially when I'm on psychedelics.

Music is sound. Sound is waves. But what makes a tune a tune and not just noise? How is it that the whole species agrees (knows even) when something is out of tune, when something is just noise?

I haven't studied music so maybe I'm being stupid and the answer is obvious.

Anyone?

I have studied this through music cognition work and research projects, and the simplest explanation is that music is just organized noise. I'd go into more detail but I'm on my phone!

What a lazy answer! ;)

You've studied music, you can put my mind at ease, and you don't. My my...

I will, I promise!

Haha. No worries.

I would say that it's in the eye of the creator rather than that of the beholder to decide whether or not something is music. When something's released and people disregard it as "noise" and not music are closeminded, in my opinion. Sure, it may be bad in your eyes, but that doesn't mean it doesn't qualify as music.

Also, the idea of something being in and out of tune is relative to what music you grow up on. The quarter step usage in Indian music would be considered quite out of tune in regards to Western music, for example. Some people are even intentionally out of tune, it can aid in whatever they're trying to convey be it eeriness, melancholy, or disorientation. Take Jandek for example


There's also the idea that music can exist without a performer, which can be hard for some to wrap their head around. John Cage discusses it well

As Burning Down said, music is "an art form consisting of sequences of sounds in time,
esp tones of definite pitch organized melodically, harmonically, rhythmically and according to tone color."
So music, generally speaking, is a planned sound event.

A Tune is "a succession of musical sounds forming an air or melody, with or without the harmony accompanying it."
According to that definition, it's just the main melody of music, without any accompanying instruments.

The definition for noise is "a nonharmonious or discordant group of sounds."
Actually, noise, if it's not planned, will be just noise and no music.
Jazz artists for example don't write sheet-music mostly, but think ahead right in the moment of playing.
I would say noise is sound that happens without a purpose, because sometimes discordant sounds are wanted in music.

The source of the definitions is Dictionary.com

All about the hook IMO!

I agree with all of this.

also noise =/= music.

This.