Are humans the only species that can create and enjoy music?

Question

I was wondering if Chimpanzees (or any other animal) could be taught to play a little something on piano or drums. Anyone know if it's been tried before? With our love for music, it's hard to imagine it not having an effect on our close relatives.

Answer 1

Music is an art form in which the medium is sound. Elements of music are pitch (which governs melody and harmony), rhythm (and its associated concepts tempo, meter, and articulation), dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture.The creation, performance, significance, and even the definition of music vary according to culture and social context. Music ranges from strictly organized compositions (and their recreation in performance), through improvisational music to aleatoric forms.So,maybe,on simplest level Chimpanzees (or any other animal) can do some music if they've trening

Answer 2

I taught my two dogs to ring a bell when they needed to go outside...does that count?  Maybe, if I still had those dogs, I could have taught them to play a rhythm on the bells or to hit different bells in a certain order.  Chimps would probably catch on better, because they can hold something to hit with.

http://au.answers.yahoo.com/answers2/fro...

Watch this cat play piano--IT's AMazing!!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=v0zgQAp7EYw&f...

http://youtube.com/watch?v=ecH16G05GC8

http://youtube.com/watch?v=yuMeEDfzz5k&f...

http://youtube.com/watch?v=troHoAUoUkw&f...

http://youtube.com/watch?v=9_nrQQV6dBQ

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Z_jc3lqsfZE&f...

Birds sing and listen to other birds sing back.

Crickets make music with their wings.

Frogs make different sounds back and forth.

What about organ grinder monkeys?

"Scientists have taught dolphins to combine both rhythm and vocalizations to produce music, resulting in an extremely high-pitched, short version of the Batman theme song...."

http://www.abc.net.au/science/news/stori...

http://www.realitysandwich.com/can_we_pl...

Answer 3

\Music existed long before humans...I guess you have never heard a wolf pack "singing", or seen monkeys/apes bang on trees with sticks while screaming a rant, or pound the ground with their fists with rhythmic grunts...never listened to birds or the wind thru trees, frogs at night, crickets, or whale songs??? I'll bet you never sat on the ground & actually felt Earth's heartbeat!!!  How very sad!!!

No, you won't find a zebra lead singing with a chimp on drums, & a lion shredding a guitar with kangaroo on bass, and birdie back-up on tour thruout the Amazon...cute thought, tho, huh??? LOL  But, nonetheless, music is vibrational tone, it is communication, the heartbeat of every being, everywhere...one only need to listen.  As far as effect--ever heard the saying "Music soothes the savage beast."???

Catching a few musical creatures on Animal Planet's 'Funniest Animal Videos', watching a bunch of dogs that do "Jingle Bells" at Christmas, & bears that ring bells to a tune at the circus, at least provide some giggles!!!  LOL

Good question...Good Journey!!!

Answer 4

I think that music comes naturally. manmade instruments are created so animals can play them. Animals have their own way of creating music.

Answer 5

Wow, that's a good question.. The monkeys at Wellington zoo love to get a canvas and finger paint and draw pictures, so I'm sure if given some instruments they would love to have a go as well.

I am going to work with chimpanzees in Auckland zoo in 3 weeks, I will encourage the keepers to give them some sort of instrument for enrichment.

Answer 6

Chimps were once trained to dance to an organ for money on streets, but yes, many species do make sounds which some might call music, though usually for purposes such as mating rather than pure enjoyment.

Answer 7

I was sitting on a log in the deep forest, during hunting season btw, and noticed a young buck about 100 feet in front of me.  He smelled me and started walking away.  Since I didn't move, he never did see me.  I sang him a song and the tone of my voice brought him back to about 50 feet where he listened to me for a few minutes before deciding to leave. I think soothing sound is soothing to higher mammals at least.  Cowboys sang to the cattle to keep them relaxed.