BIOLOGY

INVESTIGATORY PROJECT 2023-24

TO STUDY THE EFFECTS OF MUSIC GENRES ON HEART RATE

 INDEX
SL. NO SUBJECT PAGE NO.

1. Introduction 1-14

2. Aim 15

3. Materials required 16

4. Procedure 17

5. Case studies(20) 18-37

6. General observation 38

7. Observation table 39

Graph 40
8.
Result 41
9.
Inference/conclusion 42
10.
Bibliography 43
11.
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I am deeply grateful to my school Sindhi high school

hebbal, My Principal Mrs. Rachna Sharma and teacher
who have given me this opportunity and encouragement
to do this project.
I take this opportunity to gratefully acknowledge my
biology teacher Mrs. Nani N and our lab assistant Mrs.
Anita K for providing valid support guidance and
advice on planning and executing on this project to the
study the effects of music genres on heart rate.
I also wish to thank my Parents, Friends and above all
the Almighty for the smooth completion of this project.

DATE: SIGNATURE:
 CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that M.R Tanushree has

satisfactorily completed the biology
investigatory project on To study the effects of
music genres on heart rate prescribed by
CBSE for the AISSCE course of the year
2023-24.

DATE:

Signature of internal examiner:

Signature of external examiner.

INTRODUCTION
Music has an impressive impact on a person’s mood, thoughts, and outlook
. While it is known that music has a profound effect on a person’s mentality,
it is unknown whether or not it directly affects their physicality. Listening to
music can result in the listener tapping his foot, bobbing her head, or
drumming his hands to the beat. Increased physical activity is incredibly
healthy and results in a multitude of benefits, although moderate movement
while listening to music is unlikely to get heart rates to the same level as
vigorous exercise. Nevertheless, any level of physical activity improves
mood, helps to control weight, strengthens muscles and bones, and reduces
the risk of heart disease. With this in mind, we wish to understand how
music affects heart rate. Improvements in understanding the features of
music that alter heart rate could form the basis for a new form of ‘cardio’
exercise consisting solely of listening to specific types of sound waves.

A 2005 study showed that heart rates and blood pressures of subjects
increased while listening to music with a faster irregular tempo, but another
study found that heart rates of subjects decreased while listening to their
choice of music. Based on the limited knowledge behind the physical effects
of listening to music, this study attempted to test whether this mental
activator has any effect on the heart rate of high school students. A similar
study on high school students was done in 2013, but that study only tested
the difference between two songs: one with a slow tempo and one with a
fast tempo. The present study tested six different genres of music in students
and asked students to select their favourite of the musical selections they
heard, in order to control for musical preferences among listeners. We
hypothesized that the subject’s heart rate would correlate with the tempo of
the music. This is consistent with prior research and is based on the thought
that music with a fast tempo may increase heart rate because of the fast
beat. Interestingly, our findings were not consistent with our hypothesis;
average heart rates of subjects across the different genres of music were not
statistically different.

1
RESULTS OF THE TEST:

2
While the average heart rates over the course of each musical selection were
not different from resting heart rates, the average heart rates before and after
each musical selection showed some significant differences . Heart rates
after listening to classical music were significantly lower than before
listening to the classical selection (paired t-test, p = 0.021), and heart rates
after listening to rock music were significantly higher than before listening
to the rock selection (paired t-test, p = 0.0097). The classical selection had
the second fastest tempo of the six selections while the rock selection had
the slowest. Heart rates decreasing after listening to the fast tempo classical
selection and increasing after listening to the slowest tempo rock selection
also rejects the hypothesis that higher tempos will result in higher heart
rates.

Interestingly, 41.7% of the students (10/24) indicated that the rock selection
was their favourite of the six musical selections (Table 1). While the average
heart rate of students over the course of their favourite musical selection was
not significantly different than their resting heart rate (Figure 3A, paired t-
test, p = 0.79), heart rates of students significantly increased after listening
to their favourite musical selection (Figure 3B, paired t-test, p = 0.045).

3
DISCUSSION
This study investigated whether music has a direct and significant effect on heart rates of
high school students. The results show that subjects’ average heart rates over the course
of each musical selection were not significantly different from resting heart rates.
However, heart rates after listening to the classical selection were significantly lower
than before that selection and heart rates after listening to rock music were significantly
higher than before that selection. Additionally, subjects’ heart rates were significantly
increased after listening to their favourite musical selection. It was hypothesized that the
faster the tempo of the song, the faster the subjects’ heart rates would be. Our results
rejected the hypothesis, finding no difference in average heart rates over the course of
each musical selection, as well as a decrease in heart rate after the classical selection (the
second fastest tempo) and an increase after the rock selection (the slowest tempo).

Several limitations restrict the interpretations of these findings. Despite our efforts to
establish baseline heart rate conditions, other factors, such as having physical exercise
prior to the administration of the test, coming from lunch, or having a stressful day may
have influenced individual performance. Future studies should attempt to eliminate as
many of these outlying factors as possible. Another limitation to this study is the sample
size of 24 students. Though the subjects in this study were a diverse mix of genders,
ethnicities, and grades (9-12), future studies should also include a larger sample size to
increase statistical power. As the heart rate changes observed were relatively small,
increasing the sample size could potentially make more findings statistically significant.

Prior research has shown that heart rates and blood pressures increased with a faster
irregular tempo, and another study has shown subjects’ heart rates decrease while
listening to music of their choice, indicating that song tempo and musical preference
both play a role in heart rate while listening to music. However, the findings of the
present study are not consistent with either of these previous findings. The rock music
selection was the favourite of 41.7% of students and had the slowest tempo, yet the high
school students tested had significantly higher heart rates after listening to this selection.
Conversely, the classical music selection was a favourite of only 12.5% of the students
and had the second fastest tempo of the six selections, but the high school students tested
had lower heart rates after listening to this selection.

4
THE EFFECTS OF GOOD MUSIC

Anxiety and depression have deleterious effects on health. Several studies

have demonstrated the negative impact of emotions such as stress and
anxiety on heart rate (HR), blood pressure (BP), and heart disease. These
mood states have been linked to stroke, heart failure, diabetes, heart disease,
respiratory problems, and drug abuse. Negative emotions can affect the HR
and BP through the link between the nervous system and the cardiovascular
system.

Increasing evidence has linked the beneficial effect of music and managing
anxiety and depression. Cherry concluded that the psychological effects of
music can be powerful and wide-ranging including improving cognitive
performance, reducing stress, improving athletic performance, and
enhancing sleep. Gold et al. illustrated that those subjects who had musical
exposure were able to more effectively complete tasks as compared to those
not exposed.

Even though there is evidence to support the positive effect of music on HR,
BP, and mood there are many inconsistencies in prior studies driven by
heterogeneity and small sample sizes. Additional limitations include a lack
of a broad range of ages and not including a mood survey.

5
REASON
Music is a combination of frequency, beat, density, tone, rhythm,
repetition, loudness and lyrics. Cardiovascular autonomic function
syncs with the different musical rhythms and modulates the
cardiovascular system. When we are exposed to slow beat music
the parasympathetic nervous system is stimulated decreasing the
heart rate and while listening to fast beat music the sympathetic
nervous system is stimulated and increases the heart rate. The
purpose of the study was to evaluate the effects of slow and fast
beat music on pulse rate and blood pressure.

Music changes our heartrates, breathing, and blood pressure, and

alters our heart rate variability, indicators of cardiac and mental
health. Neuroscientist Psyche Loui and colleagues have traced
music-induced physiological changes to a central node in the
brain’s networks, called the anterior insular, with dense
connections to the vagus nerve, responsible for unconscious
regulation of body functions.

6
Music also has a communal impact on human physiology. People listening
to the same music tend to synchronize not only their movements, but also
their breathing and heart rhythms. Some of this heartbeat coherence is due
to breathing together, but partial coherence (linear relationships) remained
higher between the heartbeats of people vocalizing long notes together, over
the baseline or breathing together, even after removing the effect of
respiration.

The cognitive and physical demands of playing music also have measurable
effects on musicians’ heart rhythms and breathing patterns. Psychologists
Caroline Palmer and Shannon Wright showed that repetitiveness of
musicians’ heart rhythms show greater rigidity (predictability) when playing
unfamiliar musical melodies, and also when playing first thing after waking
in the morning rather than in the evening

For cardiac patients, music-based interventions can also modulate cerebral

blood flow, reduce pre-operative anxiety and post-operative stress, improve
surgery outcomes, and lower cortisol levels. Music interventions are found
to significantly affect heartrate and blood pressure in coronary heart disease
patients. Listening to relaxing music not only reduced heart and respiration
rates but also oxygen demand of the heart in patients who have had a heart
attack.

Technological advances in biofeedback sensors means that physiological

parameters like heartbeats and heart rate variability can be harnessed to
guide music interventions in cardiac therapy. Physiological feedback can be
used to select or shape music to influence listeners’ heart rates and
breathing, for example, to increase heart rate variability. With widespread
adoption of biofeedback devices, the tailoring of music interventions to
individual cognitive or neural-cardiac states is now well within reach
enabling a “musical prescription” for improved mental and physical
wellbeing.

7
 MUSIC GENRES
A music genre is a conventional category that identifies some pieces of music as
belonging to a shared tradition or set of conventions. It is to be distinguished
from musical form and musical style, although in practice these terms are sometimes
used interchangeably.

1) POP MUSIC

Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form
during the mid-1950s in the United States and the United Kingdom. The
terms popular music and pop music are often used interchangeably,
although the former describes all music that is popular and includes
many disparate styles.

Songs like bille jeans (Michael Jackson), dynamite (bts), left and
right(Charlie puth) etc are songs of pop genre.

Many artists have gotten known for their hit songs in pop genre.

8
 2) COUNTRY
Country (also called country and western) is a music genre originating in
the Southern and Southwestern United States. First produced in the 1920s,
country primarily focuses on working class Americans and blue-
collar American life. Country music is known for its ballads and dance
tunes (also known as "honky-tonk music") with simple form, folk lyrics, and
harmonies accompanied by instruments such as banjos, fiddles, harmonicas,
and many types of guitar (including acoustic, electric, steel,
and resonator guitars). Though it is primarily rooted in various forms
of American folk music, such as old-time music and Appalachian
music, many other traditions, including African-American, Mexican, Irish,
and Hawaiian music, have also had a formative influence on the genre.
Blues modes have been used extensively throughout its recorded history.
The term country music gained popularity in the 1940s in preference
to hillbilly music; it came to encompass Western music, which evolved
parallel to hillbilly music from similar roots, in the mid-20th century.
Contemporary styles of Western music include Texas country, red dirt, and
Hispano- and Mexican American-led Tejano and New Mexico music, all
extant alongside longstanding indigenous traditions.

9
 3.) JAZZ

Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities

of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with
its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been
recognized as a major form of musical expression in traditional and popular
music. Jazz is characterized by swing and blue notes, complex chords, call
and response vocals, polyrhythms and improvisation. Jazz has roots in
European harmony and African rhythmic rituals.

As jazz spread around the world, it drew on national, regional, and local
musical cultures, which gave rise to different styles. New Orleans jazz began
in the early 1910s, combining earlier brass band marches,
French quadrilles, biguine, ragtime and blues with
collective polyphonic improvisation. But jazz did not begin as a single
musical tradition in New Orleans or elsewhere. In the 1930s, arranged
dance-oriented swing big bands, Kansas City jazz (a hard-swinging, bluesy,
improvisational style), and gypsy jazz (a style that
emphasized musette waltzes) were the prominent styles. Bebop emerged in
the 1940s, shifting jazz from danceable popular music toward a more
challenging "musician's music" which was played at faster tempos and used
more chord-based improvisation. Cool jazz developed near the end of the
1940s, introducing calmer, smoother sounds and long, linear melodic lines.

10
 4.) CLASSICAL

Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world,
considered to be distinct from Western folk music or popular
music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical music,
as the term "classical music" also applies to non-Western art music.
Classical music is often characterized by formality and complexity in
its musical form and harmonic organization, particularly with the use
of polyphony. Since at least the ninth century it has been primarily a written
tradition, spawning a sophisticated notational system, as well as
accompanying literature
in analytical, critical, historiographical, musicological and philosophical pra
ctices. A foundational component of Western Culture, classical music is
frequently seen from the perspective of individual or groups of composers,
whose compositions, personalities and beliefs have fundamentally shaped
its history.

11
5) ELECTRONIC MUSIC

Electronic music is a genre of music that employs electronic musical

instruments, digital instruments, or circuitry-based music technology in its
creation. It includes both music made using electronic and
electromechanical means (electroacoustic music). Pure electronic
instruments depended entirely on circuitry-based sound generation, for
instance using devices such as an electronic oscillator, theremin, or
synthesizer. Electromechanical instruments can have mechanical parts such
as strings, hammers, and electric elements including magnetic
pickups, power amplifiers and loudspeakers. Such electromechanical
devices include the telharmonium, Hammond organ, electric piano and the
electric guitar.

Contemporary electronic music includes many varieties and ranges

from experimental art music to popular forms such as electronic dance
music. Pop electronic music is most recognizable in its 4/4 form and more
connected with the mainstream than preceding forms which were popular in
niche markets.

12
MUSIC HAS A BOOST ON HEART HEALTH

Music has a small yet positive impact on heart health, according to a review
of recent studies analyzing the relationship between music and changes in
the body.

Published in the European Heart Journal, this paper reviewed existing

evidence related to music and cardiovascular health. As authors explain,
music can have a powerful impact on emotions and mood. Depending on
the type of song, music can help energize or calm you, or even provoke
memories from the past. It’s no surprise that many studies have explored the
effects of music on the heart and overall health.

After reviewing past research, authors found that music is associated with a
number of markers of heart health. First, studies suggest that compared to
silence, music tends to increase heart rate and speed up breathing. Faster
music also speeds up heart rate and breathing more than slower music. One
study found that unpleasant music is associated with a decrease in heart rate
compared to pleasant music.

Research suggests that music may also improve the health of patients living
with heart disease. Past studies have found that not only can music reduce
pain and anxiety, it may help lower blood pressure and heart rate. Since
depression is common among patients with heart disease, it’s possible that
music could help relieve symptoms and improve overall mood.

However, as authors explain, the effects of music on the heart are minor.
Compared to well-established factors that impact heart health—
like diet and exercise—it’s likely that music doesn’t have a major impact.
Still, authors encourage future research on the issue. If music can improve
mood or heart function, it may offer yet another way for patients to improve
both mental and physical health.

13
INSTRUMENT USED:

PULSE OXIMETER

This is a device that helps give information on our oxygen saturation levels,
pulse, and heart rate .It measures how fast your heart is beating as well as
checking how well you are breathing, it does this by checking how much
oxygen is in your blood.

This is device is used for our study, it helps in measuring heart beats per
minute (bpm).

14
 AIM

TO STUDY THE EFFECT OF MUSIC

GENRES ON HEART RATE

15
MATERIALS REQUIRED
Pulse oximeter
Book
Pen
Music :
1) Jazz- what a wonderful world (louis amstrong)
2) Pop- Billie jeans
3) Country- Last Night by Morgan Wallen
4) Electronic music

Wireless earphones
Blindfold

16
 PROCEDURE
 For this study the sampler is sat down or laid down on
convenience to calm their heart.
 For the determination of the heart rate, the instrument pulse
oximeter was chosen in this study.

 The first readings are taken for resting, without any music.
 The second reading is taken after playing pop music (fast
music).
 The Third readings are taken for jazz music (slow music)
after 10 minutes of rest.
 The fourth readings are taken for country again after a 10
minute break.
 The fifth reading is taken for electronic genre of music(very
fast) after another 10 minute break.
Each genre has three trials each, taking reading every 1 minute.
All the subjects should be in a stationary stance only and, thus, no
abrupt, violent or intensive movements should occur.
Blindfolds are worn and wireless headphones are used to make sure a quiet
ambience is created and it is not disturbed.

17
 CASE STUDIES

CASE 1:

Age: 48 years old

READINGS:

NO. OF RESTING POP JAZZ COUNTRY ELECTRONIC

TRIALS
(bpm) (bpm) (bpm) (bpm) (bpm)
1 63 82 67 51 92
2 65 81 65 65 96
3 70 78 63 67 101

MEAN RESTING POP JAZZ COUNTRY ELECTRONIC

In bpm 66 80.3 65 61 96.3

18
 CASE 2 :

Age: 17
READINGS:

MEAN RESTING POP JAZZ COUNTRY ELECTRONIC

NO. OF RESTING POP JAZZ COUNTRY ELECTRONIC
TRIALS (bpm) (bpm) (bpm) (bpm) (bpm)
1 70 90 81 101 107
2 71 96 85 103 109
3 75 99 86 105 110
In bpm 72 95 84 103 108.6

19
CASE 3 :

Age: 19
READINGS:

NO. OF RESTING POP JAZZ COUNTRY ELECTRONIC

TRIALS (bpm) (bpm) (bpm) (bpm) (bpm)
1 66 74 51 69 83
2 68 79 61 71 88
3 69 80 66 79 90

MEAN RESTING POP JAZZ COUNTRY ELECTRONIC

In bpm 67.6 77.6 59.3 73 87

20
 CASE 4 :

Age: 50
READINGS:

NO. OF RESTING POP JAZZ COUNTRY ELECTRONIC

TRIALS (bpm) (bpm) (bpm) (bpm) (bpm)
1 59 71 61 75 81
2 62 75 63 78 83
3 65 78 64 80 85

MEAN RESTING POP JAZZ COUNTRY ELECTRONIC

In bpm 62 74.6 62.6 77.6 83

21
 CASE 5 :

Age: 25
READINGS:

NO. OF RESTING POP JAZZ COUNTRY ELECTRONI

TRIALS (bpm) (bpm) (bpm) (bpm) C (bpm)
1 67 81 71 90 98
2 68 84 72 93 101
3 70 87 70 95 105

MEAN RESTING POP JAZZ COUNTRY ELECTRONIC

68.3 84 71 92.6 101.3

22
 CASE 6 :

Age: 20
READINGS:

NO. OF RESTING POP JAZZ COUNTRY ELECTRONIC

TRIALS (bpm) (bpm) (bpm) (bpm) (bpm)
1 65 72 71 76 84
2 66 74 73 79 85
3 67 75 72 81 90

MEAN RESTING POP JAZZ COUNTRY ELECTRONIC

66 73.6 72 78.6 86.3

23
 CASE 7 :

Age: 14
READINGS:
NO. OF RESTING POP JAZZ COUNTRY ELECTRONIC
TRIALS (bpm) (bpm) (bpm) (bpm) (bpm)
1 67 73 61 77 92
2 68 75 62 79 97
3 69 76 64 78 105

MEAN RESTING POP JAZZ COUNTRY ELECTRONIC

68 74.6 62.3 78 98

24
 CASE 8 :

Age: 15
READINGS:

NO. OF RESTING POP JAZZ COUNTRY ELECTRONIC

TRIALS (bpm) (bpm) (bpm) (bpm) (bpm)
1 67 78 62 72 91
2 69 80 65 74 94
3 73 82 66 76 97

MEAN RESTING POP JAZZ COUNTRY ELECTRONIC

69.6 80 64.3 74 94

25
 CASE 9 :

Age: 16
READINGS:

NO. OF RESTING POP JAZZ COUNTRY ELECTRONIC

TRIALS (bpm) (bpm) (bpm) (bpm) (bpm)
1 66 72 65 80 93
2 68 74 66 82 97
3 69 79 68 86 101

MEAN RESTING POP JAZZ COUNTRY ELECTRONIC

67.6 75 66.3 82.6 97

26
 CASE 10 :

Age: 55
READINGS:

NO. OF RESTING POP JAZZ COUNTRY ELECTRONIC

TRIALS (bpm) (bpm) (bpm) (bpm) (bpm)
1 59 67 61 71 76
2 62 68 63 73 78
3 64 69 64 74 83

MEAN RESTING POP JAZZ COUNTRY ELECTRONIC

61.6 68 64.3 72.6 79

27
 CASE 11 :

Age: 40
READINGS:

NO. OF RESTING POP JAZZ COUNTRY ELECTRONIC

TRIALS (bpm) (bpm) (bpm) (bpm) (bpm)
1 63 71 62 74 83
2 65 73 64 76 85
3 67 75 65 78 89

MEAN RESTING POP JAZZ COUNTRY ELECTRONIC

65 73 63.6 76 85.6

28
 CASE 12 :

Age: 29
READINGS:

NO. OF RESTING POP JAZZ COUNTRY ELECTRONIC

TRIALS (bpm) (bpm) (bpm) (bpm) (bpm)
1 64 76 63 72 87
2 67 79 65 74 90
3 69 80 67 76 94

MEAN RESTING POP JAZZ COUNTRY ELECTRONIC

66.6 78.3 65 74 90.3

29
 CASE 13 :

Age: 76
READINGS:

NO. OF RESTING POP JAZZ COUNTRY ELECTRONIC

TRIALS (bpm) (bpm) (bpm) (bpm) (bpm)
1 58 69 59 69 76
2 62 72 63 71 78
3 64 74 65 74 80

MEAN RESTING POP JAZZ COUNTRY ELECTRONIC

61.3 71.6 62.3 71.3 78

30
 CASE 14:

Age: 27
READINGS:

NO. OF RESTING POP JAZZ COUNTRY ELECTRONIC

TRIALS (bpm) (bpm) (bpm) (bpm) (bpm)
1 69 80 62 74 87
2 71 83 64 76 90
3 73 86 67 78 93

MEAN RESTING POP JAZZ COUNTRY ELECTRONIC

71 83 64.3 76 90

31
 CASE 15 :

Age: 35
READINGS:

NO. OF RESTING POP JAZZ COUNTRY ELECTRONIC

TRIALS (bpm) (bpm) (bpm) (bpm) (bpm)
1 65 72 63 70 84
2 68 75 65 73 86
3 69 79 68 78 89

MEAN RESTING POP JAZZ COUNRY ELECTRONIC

67.3 75.3 65.3 73.6 86.3

32
 CASE 16 :

Age: 30
READINGS:

NO. OF RESTING POP JAZZ COUNTRY ELECTRONIC

TRIALS (bpm) (bpm) (bpm) (bpm) (bpm)
1 69 81 62 74 87
2 71 82 65 75 76
3 73 89 67 76 75

MEAN RESTING POP JAZZ COUNTRY ELECTRONIC

71 84 64.6 75 79.3

33
 CASE 17:

Age: 37
READINGS:

NO. OF RESTING POP JAZZ COUNTRY ELECTRONIC

TRIALS (bpm) (bpm) (bpm) (bpm) (bpm)
1 63 75 62 71 83
2 68 78 64 74 85
3 69 80 67 76 89

MEAN RESTING POP JAZZ COUNTRY ELECTRONIC

66.6 77.6 64.3 73.6 85.6

34
 CASE 18:

Age: 82
READINGS:

NO. OF RESTING POP JAZZ COUNTRY ELECTRONIC

TRIALS (bpm) (bpm) (bpm) (bpm) (bpm)
1 58 68 60 71 76
2 61 70 62 73 79
3 63 73 63 75 82

MEAN RESTING POP JAZZ COUNTRY ELECTRONIC

60.6 70.3 61.6 73 79

35
 CASE 19 :

Age: 10
READINGS:

NO. OF RESTING POP JAZZ COUNTRY ELECTRONIC

TRIALS (bpm) (bpm) (bpm) (bpm) (bpm)
1 68 78 69 64 94
2 70 80 73 65 98
3 72 83 75 67 102

MEAN RESTING POP JAZZ COUNTRY ELECTRONIC

70 80.3 72.3 65.3 98

36
 CASE 20:

Age: 63
READINGS:

NO. OF RESTING POP JAZZ COUNTRY ELECTRONIC

TRIALS (bpm) (bpm) (bpm) (bpm) (bpm)
1 67 74 63 75 83
2 68 76 65 76 80
3 70 78 67 79 82

MEAN RESTING POP JAZZ COUNTRY ELECTRONIC

68.3 76 65 76.6 81.6

37
 GENERAL OBSERVATION

 This study gives us a lot of information about how heart rate

varies depending on the genre of the song and the tempo of
the song.Most of the age groups were covered for this test.
 Very clearly the songs with fast beats increase the heart rate
and songs with slow tempo show slow heart rates.
 The resting and jazz are almost the same as resting is taken
in a quite environment and jazz also has a very subtle and
calming effect.
 The electronic genre of music has shown the highest increase
in heart rate considering its speedy music.
 The age groups from 40-80’s show high interest in jazz.
 There are some samplers who showed high rates for slow
songs and low heart rates for fast songs which proves that the
hypothesis of fast music increasing heartbeat may not always
be true. (refer to case 16 in page 33)
 These exceptions maybe due to the particular song being the
sampler’s favourite which makes their heart rate increase in
response.

The influence emanates from the pace of rhythms in a song, which

varies from one genre to another in heart rates.

38
OBSERVATION TABLE
1.) AVERAGES

AGE JAZZ POP COUNTRY ELECTRONIC

GROUP (bpm) (bpm) (bpm) (bpm)

10-19 68.083 80.416 79.316 97.1

20-29 68.075 79.7 80.05 91.975

30-39 64.733 77.3 74.06 86.966

40-60 63.875 73.975 71.8 85.975

61-90 62.966 72.66 73.633 80

2.) OVERALL RESULTS

GENRE OF MUSIC HEART RATE

POP 76.98

JAZZ 65.48

COUNTRY 75.74

ELECTRONIC MUSIC 88.36

39
 GRAPH

Electronic
Music genre

Country

Jazz bpm

Pop

0 20 40 60 80 100
bpm

This graph brings many conclusions in the study.

Implication of this graph:

 Electronic music shows the highest heart rate

 Pop is the immediate second genre showing the next high
heart rate.
 Jazz seems to show the least rise in heart rate.

40
RESULT

 From the above experiment we can conclude that the above

chosen genres do affect the heart to some extent.

 It is also inferred that fast music (pop, rap, country) tend to increase

the heart rate whereas slow music (ballad, jazz, classical) slow down

the heart rate.

 Different age groups have shown varying range of heart rates but

eventually show the same result that is increase in fast music and

decreases with slow music.

 The ultimate result turns out to be that heart rates are indeed

affected by music and can be utilized for the betterment of people.

 Music also is connected to emotions and making them feel better

and comforted during any weak mental period. The subjects had a

smile on their face when listening to calm gentle music which

made them forget about their worries and relax for some time.

Thus, music affects heart rates and also makes the listener mentally

comforted.

Another conclusion made is not always the heart rate increases due to
the faster beats of the music but even when your favourite song is played

it results in the increase of heartbeat in response.

The above conducted experiment is still very small scaled (sample wise)

making it very hard to make any major conclusions or actually find variety

of reasons for the increase or drop in heart rate due to music.

41
INFERENCE

Overall Music is a combination of frequency, beat, density, tone, rhythm,

repetition, loudness and lyrics. Cardiovascular autonomic function syncs
with the different musical rhythms and modulates the cardiovascular

system. When we are exposed to slow beat music the parasympathetic

nervous system is stimulated decreasing the heart rate and while listening

to fast beat music the sympathetic nervous system is stimulated and

increases the heart rate. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the

effects of slow and fast beat music on pulse rate and blood pressure.

In conclusion, this study suggests jazz music has a positive impact on the

cardiovascular system and potential emotional benefits. Music affects the

cardiovascular system through multiple potential mechanisms including

the autonomic nervous system. Music also affects other parts of the brain,

which in turn affects the mood through the release of neurotransmitters

such as dopamine. Dopamine release may contribute to the study

findings which found that 83% of subjects found fast music

uplifting. Finally, nearly all subjects believe music can help manage stress.

Listening to music may be a potential therapeutic method for reducing

anxiety and depression. This is still a study with very small sample size
which limits.

42
BIBLIOGRAPHY

 Wikipedia

https://emerginginvestigators.org/articles/the-effect-of-
music-on-heart-rate

 https://www.cureus.com/articles/92593-the-effect-of-
classical-music-on-heart-rate-blood-pressure-and-mood#!/

 National Institutes of health.

43