Includes bibliographical references (p. [425]-442) and index.

Prelude : the harmonious universe : an introduction -- Overture : why we sing : what is music and where does it comes from? -- Staccato : the atoms of music : what are musical notes and how do we decide which to use? -- Andante : what's in a tune? : do melodies follow rules, and if so, which? -- Legato : keeping it together : How do we decode the sound? -- Tutti: all together now : how do we use more than one note at a time? -- Con moto: slave to the rhythm : what gives music its pulse? -- Pizzicato : the colour of music : why do instruments sound different, and how does that affect the music? -- Misterioso : all in the mind : which bits of the brain do we use for music? -- Appassionato : light my fire : how does music convey and elicit emotion? -- Capriccioso : going in and out of style : what are musical styles? : is music about notes, or patterns, or textures? -- Parlando : why music talks to us : is music a language? or is it closer to the non-verbal arts? -- Serioso : the meaning of music : what are composers and musicians trying to say? : can music in itself say anything at all? -- Coda : the condition of music.

The Music Instinct Philip Ball provides the first comprehensive, accessible survey of what is known--and what is still unknown--about how music works its magic, and why, as much as eating and sleeping, it seems indispensable to humanity. --from publisher description