Motor Theory of Melodic Expectancy
Frank Russo, Lola L. Cuddy · 2025
Despite the vast differences that exist in music across style and culture, certain similarities exist. Melody is one area where cross-cultural similarity can be found. There are patterns of melodic motion (i.e., how a melody proceeds from note to note) that appear to transcend many musical styles. Music theorist Eugene Narmour (1990) has forwarded a set of principles that describe these common melodic patterns. We submit that the origin of the principles and by extension the common melodic patterns may be vocal constraint.