QuoteDisplay MoreA study using network science to measure the intricacy of 20,000 pieces of music produced over four centuries has found that music is becoming less complex over time.
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Using this network analysis, the team found some surprising results, though not necessarily out of line with previous research. Overall, they found that musical complexity has declined over the centuries, with classical being much more complex than modern music. However, even classical music is not immune from this trend, and has become less complex as time goes on.
One exception to the rule of diminishing complexity was jazz, though only for a brief period.
"Notably, Classical music exhibits a declining trend, whereas Jazz shows an initial increase in its complexity in its early days, followed by a decline and eventual stabilization," the team writes. "In contrast, the other genres maintain relatively flat patterns, with efficiency values comparable to those of Classical and Jazz in recent years."
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It is also important to note that while music may be getting simpler in terms of melody, it may also be getting more complex in other ways. Music was played on fewer instruments in the past, for example, while modern music may involve many layers of different textures.
"My guess is that other aspects of music are getting more complex and melodies are getting simpler as a way to compensate," Madeline Hamilton, co-author of the previous research, explained at the time.
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