Here's another experiment. Take a simple, one-note-at-a-time melody in a major key that you would describe as "happy". Change it to the natural minor by flattening any occurrences of III, VI, or VIII.
In all likelihood, depending on the exact structure of the melody, you have drastically changed its emotional properties, and you would no longer describe it as "happy". But you have barely changed the movement of the melody through musical space. The major and minor versions of the melody still go up and down in the same places, but by a slightly different amount at certain points.
If I were myself a believer in this theory (which as a matter of fact I am not), I might say something like this. Emotions are expressed in movement, but also in posture, which is "static." The "shape" of a melody is like movement. But the underlying harmony is like posture. Maybe that's a starting point, for explaining how a single chord could be sad, or happy.
Here's another experiment. Take a simple, one-note-at-a-time melody in a major key that you would describe as "happy". Change it to the natural minor by flattening any occurrences of III, VI, or VIII.
In all likelihood, depending on the exact structure of the melody, you have drastically changed its emotional properties, and you would no longer describe it as "happy". But you have barely changed the movement of the melody through musical space. The major and minor versions of the melody still go up and down in the same places, but by a slightly different amount at certain points.
If I were myself a believer in this theory (which as a matter of fact I am not), I might say something like this. Emotions are expressed in movement, but also in posture, which is "static." The "shape" of a melody is like movement. But the underlying harmony is like posture. Maybe that's a starting point, for explaining how a single chord could be sad, or happy.
Can a single chord, which does not have any movement in musical space, be sad?
That is a hard question for this theory. Do you think a single chord, out of all context, can be sad?
I think so. If you play guitar, grab your guitar and play a single A minor chord. Doesn't that sound sad, all by itself?
Do you think the opening moments of Paint It, Black sound sad?
Absolutely.