Are our musical tastes part genetic or fully inherited?

RJDG14 · 04-11-2017, 04:45 PM

Different people have have different types of song structure and chord progression that appeal to them, and I'm wondering if this is inherited based on their environment or if genetics also plays a role.

For instance, I've been loving the Big Star song September Gurls recently, and playing it to others I know, they all either find it extremely memorable and catchy like I do, or they find it very forgettable and boring. So, does genetics play a role or not?

**Frownland** · 04-11-2017, 04:47 PM

Outside of hereditary deafness/tone-deafness, I'm pretty sure that it's all culture.

RJDG14 · 04-11-2017, 05:06 PM

Seems a bit weird then that I enjoy very little of what bands are currently releasing - I find typical 2010s chord progression very forgettable compared with the 80s/90s. Even after becoming used to 2010s music, I still don't find it catchy.

Zer0 · 04-11-2017, 05:07 PM

Genetics play no role in how our brains process music, it's all down to the person's environment. However a person's musical tastes can be inherited from their parents through the environment and culture handed down to them. This is not always the case though as a person can be more influenced by culture and environments outside the home.

My musical taste has very little influence by my parents.

**Frownland** · 04-11-2017, 05:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RJDG14

Seems a bit weird then that I enjoy very little of what bands are currently releasing - I find typical 2010s chord progression very forgettable compared with the 80s/90s.

And did you form your tastes on 80s/90s music?

EPOCH6 · 04-11-2017, 05:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zer0

Genetics play no role in how our brains process music, it's all down to the person's environment. However a person's musical tastes can be inherited from their parents through the environment and culture handed down to them. This is not always the case though as a person can be more influenced by culture and environments outside the home.

My musical taste has very little influence by my parents.

I'm inclined to agree with this. My own taste in music has always mirrored my environment. Growing up it was classic rock because that's what my parents played, rebelling against my parents it was always punk and metal, post-highschool partying/drugs phase was experimental electronic music, moving to the city it was instrumental hip-hop, drum & bass, breakcore, and now moving back to the country, living like my parents lived when they were my age, I've found myself back where I started with classic rock. So at first glance it would be easy to say that it's hereditary because nowadays I basically listen to the same music that my parents listen to, but looking back at the bigger picture it was always the environment that steered my taste.

RJDG14 · 04-12-2017, 12:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frownland

And did you form your tastes on 80s/90s music?

I think so, yeah.

Into sound · 04-17-2017, 10:06 PM

I intentionally avoided my parents' music for years, most of my tastes formed from internet culture

Paul Smeenus · 04-17-2017, 10:14 PM

If my musical taste is inherited I'd listen to absolute horseshit.

Oh...

Tristan_Geoff · 04-18-2017, 12:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul Smeenus

If my musical taste is inherited I'd listed to absolute horseshit.

Oh...

Hang in there bud, I got you

04-11-2017, 04:45 PM	#1 (permalink)
RJDG14 Music Addict Join Date: Jun 2015 Posts: 157	Are our musical tastes part genetic or fully inherited? Different people have have different types of song structure and chord progression that appeal to them, and I'm wondering if this is inherited based on their environment or if genetics also plays a role. For instance, I've been loving the Big Star song September Gurls recently, and playing it to others I know, they all either find it extremely memorable and catchy like I do, or they find it very forgettable and boring. So, does genetics play a role or not?

04-11-2017, 04:47 PM	#2 (permalink)
Frownland SOPHIE FOREVER Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: East of the Southern North American West Posts: 35,541	Outside of hereditary deafness/tone-deafness, I'm pretty sure that it's all culture. __________________ Studies show that when a given norm is changed in the face of the unchanging, the remaining contradictions will parallel the truth. d e a f b o x

04-11-2017, 05:07 PM	#4 (permalink)
Zer0 ∞ Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Ireland Posts: 3,792	Genetics play no role in how our brains process music, it's all down to the person's environment. However a person's musical tastes can be inherited from their parents through the environment and culture handed down to them. This is not always the case though as a person can be more influenced by culture and environments outside the home. My musical taste has very little influence by my parents. __________________ Last FM \| RYM \| The Final Sound

04-11-2017, 05:06 PM	#3 (permalink)
RJDG14 Music Addict Join Date: Jun 2015 Posts: 157	Seems a bit weird then that I enjoy very little of what bands are currently releasing - I find typical 2010s chord progression very forgettable compared with the 80s/90s. Even after becoming used to 2010s music, I still don't find it catchy.

04-17-2017, 10:06 PM	#8 (permalink)
Into sound Groupie Join Date: Apr 2017 Posts: 6	I intentionally avoided my parents' music for years, most of my tastes formed from internet culture