What is the happiest musical instrument of all time?
According to science, the happiest music isn’t all that difficult to decipher. Usually, if it incorporates enough major notes, makes good use of a catchy, upbeat melody, and maintains a consistent and engaging tempo, it’s guaranteed to release the ‘feel good’ chemical—dopamine—in our brains. However, what about the happiest instrument of all time?
Many researchers have uncovered the truth behind why certain music boosts our moods, not just in terms of how a subset of characteristics results in a release of dopamine but also in how these songs align with our brain’s natural rhythms and expectations. For instance, there’s a reason experimental music is regarded as a niche interest, and that’s because few minds actually enjoy the unpredictability of certain sounds and song structures.
This is also why most formulaic songs are often the most popular or ‘radio-friendly’, almost as though their conventional nature is a superpower that enhances mood and connection without much effort. That said, many of the more layered and creative works incite this reaction, too, like most of Jeff Lynne’s discography and almost all of Sabrina Carpenter’s Short n’ Sweet. The point is that genuine artistry can also be at work that still yields uplifting emotional reactions, establishing an interesting intersection between expression and familiarity.
Still, the reasons why are clear, with many researchers claiming that these quintessential mood-boosting tunes all adhere to specific patterns in one way or another, including sounds that appear “bright and bouncy,” according to Dr Michael Bonshor, who also claims that these also often include “trumpets or electric guitars, instead of mellower instruments”.
His findings suggest that the happiest instruments are the ones that don’t sound depressing, which isn’t a surprise, but with so many to choose from, not just trumpets and electric guitars but ukeleles, violins, pianos, and cellos, too, which is the forerunner when it comes to sounding more chipper than the rest? Well, comedian and banjo player Steve Martin famously claimed to have the answer when he proudly declared, “You can’t play a sad song on the banjo”, a sentiment Willie Nelson distantly shared with his song ‘You Just Can’t Play a Sad Song on a Banjo’.
This wouldn’t be too difficult a statement to believe—aside from its association with the lively bluegrass sounds, the banjo is also a symbol of immense community and unity, which often comes adorned with palpable energy and excitement. It would be easy to claim that the banjo is the happiest instrument of all time, but what does science have to say about that?
According to various reports, the banjo is one of the happiest instruments of all time, but determining whether it is the torchbearer isn’t as simple, especially when faced with the potential of other instruments, like the ukulele. Establishing the differences all depends on instrumental timbre associated with joy and sadness. According to researchers at the University of Ohio, the banjo “exhibits a relatively bright timbre, and the short-sustain of the plucked strings makes it ill-suited to playing slowly.”
Put simply, the banjo naturally emits a “happy” sound, but this is the same aspect that characterises the ukulele, which also emits a simpler sound than those typically associated with mellow sounds, like the violin or the trumpet. Some ukuleles have also been used in various therapeutic settings after being proven to reduce stress, making it ideal for emotional upliftment, similar to the effect often attributed to the banjo.
Therefore, while many, like Martin, claim the banjo is incapable of producing a sad sound, research suggests it could have an unsuspecting competitor in the ukulele. After all, the ukulele possesses a similar amount of strong rhythmic and melodic qualities, making it a close contender for the title of the happiest instrument.
