In the article 'Anatomy of a Tear-Jerker (Why does Adele's 'Someone Like You' make everyone cry? Science has found the formula)' British psychologist John Sloboda conducted an experiment and found that 18 of the 20 tear-jerking songs contained the musical device...

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Question

In the article 'Anatomy of a Tear-Jerker (Why does Adele's 'Someone Like You' make everyone cry? Science has found the formula)' British psychologist John Sloboda conducted an experiment and found that 18 of the 20 tear-jerking songs contained the musical device...

Notice: This question and its associated answer set are protected under copyright, and may not be reproduced without the author's consent.

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

An appoggiatura — a leaning, accented non-chord tone that resolves stepwise — is the musical device Sloboda identified.

1) Relevant knowledge points and concepts
- Appoggiatura: an ornament/embellishment where a note that does not belong to the underlying chord is played on a strong beat (or given emphasis) and then resolves by step to a chord tone. It creates a brief dissonance followed by resolution.
- Emotional effect: brief dissonance + delayed resolution produces tension, a sense of yearning or “sigh,” which listeners often interpret as expressive or plaintive.

2) Step‑by‑step reasoning
- Sloboda examined a sample of widely reported tear‑jerking songs and analyzed their melodic and harmonic features.
- He found that in 18 of the 20 songs there was an emphasized non‑chord tone that resolved by step on a musically important syllable or moment.
- That pattern fits the definition of an appoggiatura: the melody leans against the harmony, creating an emotionally salient clash and then release.

3) Intermediate (analytical) steps
- Identify chord: e.g., underlying C major (C–E–G).
- Detect accented non‑chord tone: melodic D sung on an accented syllable (D is not in C major triad).
- Resolution: D moves by step to C or E, resolving the dissonance. The timing and emphasis produce heightened affect.

4) Why the correct answer is correct
- The appoggiatura specifically produces the characteristic emotional tug (tension → resolution) that researchers tie to tears: it highlights a word or beat with a small, expressive dissonance and then relieves it, provoking a strong emotional response.

5) Why the other options are incorrect
- Octatonic scale: a particular scale; uncommon as a consistent feature across popular tear‑jerkers.
- Sitar: a specific instrument, not a pervasive device in the sample.
- Female vocalist: singer gender is not a required musical device and many tear‑jerkers have male vocalists.

6) Conclusion
This explanation supports and confirms the provided correct answer: an appoggiatura.

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