# Listeners can spot a lullaby from an unfamiliar culture. A love song, barely.

The Music Lab team, then at Harvard, gathered from archives 118 songs recorded in 86 societies, from Saami herders in Arctic Norway to villages in Papua New Guinea, and asked the internet: what is each one for? 29,357 people answered. They recognised lullabies and dance songs about half the time. Love songs, only a shade more often than guessing would.

## What the listeners answered

- Dance: 54% recognised; d′ = 0.96
- Healing: 43% recognised; d′ = 0.39
- Love: 26% recognised; d′ = 0.39
- Lullaby: 46% recognised; d′ = 1.03

“Healing” was the answer given for 32% of all songs.

The listeners were visitors to a citizen-science website, described by the authors as Western; the authors do not know whether non-Western listeners would do the same.

## What in a song gives it away?

- Dance: 128 beats/min / Lullaby: 101 beats/min (initial tempo, medians from the transcriptions)
- Love: 14 semitones / Lullaby: 9 semitones (range, medians from the transcriptions)
- Dance: 47% / Healing: 51% (modal interval prevalence, medians from the transcriptions)

## All 118 songs

| Society | Place | Year | Kind | Recognised |
|---|---|---|---|---:|
| Gourara | Gourara, Algeria | 1975 | Dance | 88% |
| Ewe | Anlo-Afiadenyigba, Volta Region, Ghana | 1997 | Dance | 88% |
| Kanaks | Tiga Island, Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia | 1986 | Dance | 84% |
| Hopi | Arizona, USA | 1924 | Dance | 81% |
| Saami | Finnmark, Norway | 1955 | Lullaby | 80% |
| Guarani | Alto Izogog, Bolivia | 1991–1997 | Lullaby | 79% |
| Lozi | Wuaskile Compound, Nkana Mine NR, Zambia | 1949 | Dance | 79% |
| Maya (Yucatán) | Chanchichimilá, Yucatan, Mexico | 2001 | Healing | 79% |
| Chuuk | Lukaf, Pulap, Chuuk, Federated States of Micronesia | 1984 | Dance | 79% |
| Yolngu | Arnhem Land, Australia  | 1949–1952 | Dance | 77% |
| Hawaiians | Kalāhiki, South Kona, Hawaii, USA | 1923–1933 | Healing | 77% |
| Ojibwa | Bemidji, Minnesota, USA | 1988 | Dance | 76% |
| Guarani | Asuncion, Paraguay | 1953 | Love | 76% |
| Saramaka | Godo, Suriname | 1977 | Dance | 76% |
| Nahua | Guerrero, Mexico | 1962 | Lullaby | 73% |
| Mataco | Gran Chaco, Argentina | 1974 | Healing | 73% |
| Highland Scots | Outer Hebrides, United Kingdom  | before 1952 | Dance | 70% |
| Kanaks | Vao, New Caledonia | 1984 | Lullaby | 69% |
| Anggor | Samanai Village, Green River (West Sepik Province), Papua New Guinea | 1987 | Healing | 69% |
| Ainu | Nibutani, Hokkaido, Japan | 1978 | Lullaby | 68% |
| Aka | Lobaye, Central African Republic | 1972–1977 | Dance | 68% |
| Hawaiians | Kaimu, Hawaii, USA | 1935 | Dance | 68% |
| Bahia Brazilians | Mar Grande in Itaparica, Brazil | 1956 | Dance | 67% |
| Phunoi | Phongsali Province, Laos | 1997–2001 | Lullaby | 66% |
| Javaé | Bananal Island, State of Tocantins, Brazil | before 1962 | Lullaby | 64% |
| Fut | Bafut, Cameroon | 1959 | Lullaby | 64% |
| Iglulik Inuit | Arctic Bay, Nunavut, Canada | 1985 | Lullaby | 62% |
| Iroquois | Six Nations Reserve, Ontario, Canada | 1941 | Healing | 61% |
| Swedes | Jämtland, Sweden | 1951 | Dance | 60% |
| Meratus | South Kalimantan, Indonesia | 1997–1998 | Healing | 60% |
| Aka | Lobaye Region, Central African Republic | 1972–1977 | Lullaby | 59% |
| Iroquois | South side of St. Lawrence River, 10 miles west of Montreal, Canada |  | Lullaby | 58% |
| Blackfoot | Browning, Montana, USA | 1966 | Dance | 58% |
| Quechan | Yuma Reservation, California, USA | 1922 | Healing | 57% |
| Ojibwa | Waba cing, Minnesota, USA | 1909 | Healing | 57% |
| Seri | Desemboque, Sonora, Mexico | 1946 | Healing | 56% |
| Iroquois | Allegany Reservation, Cattaraugus County, New York | 1980 | Dance | 56% |
| Tlingit | Yakutat, Alaska, USA | before 1981 | Dance | 55% |
| Haida | Queen Charlotte Islands, British Columbia, Canada | 1979 | Lullaby | 55% |
| Nanai | Lidoga, Russia | 1996 | Healing | 54% |
| Samoans | Ti'avea, Upolu, Samoa | 1979 | Lullaby | 52% |
| Kurds | Indirgas, Iran | 1962 | Love | 51% |
| Mentawaians | Madobag, South Siberut, Kepulauan Mentawai, West Sumatra, Indonesia | 1992 | Dance | 51% |
| Ganda | Nkoko, Uganda | 1970 | Healing | 50% |
| Mbuti | Ituri Forest, Gombari District, Congo | 1952 | Healing | 50% |
| Q'ero Quichua | Beyond the towns of Paucartambo and Ocongate, Cusco, Peru | 1964 | Lullaby | 50% |
| Greeks | Leros, Greece | 1998 | Lullaby | 49% |
| Chukchee | Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Russia | before 1997 | Dance | 49% |
| Goajiro | Laguna de Los Pájaros, Paraguaipoa, Zulia, Venezuela | 1971 | Lullaby | 49% |
| Walbiri | Central and North-Central Australia | 1953 | Healing | 48% |
| Kuna | San Blas Islands, Panama | before 1983 | Lullaby | 48% |
| Otavalo Quichua | Otavalo, Ecuador | before 1960 | Healing | 48% |
| Koreans | Seoul, South Korea | 1991 | Healing | 47% |
| Q'ero Quichua | Beyond the towns of Paucartambo and Ocongate, Cusco, Peru | 1964 | Love | 47% |
| Garo | Madhupur, India | before 1994 | Dance | 46% |
| Serbs | Brza, Serbia | 1990 | Love | 45% |
| Greeks | Peloponnese, Greece | before 1953 | Dance | 44% |
| Amhara | Amhara Region, Ethiopia | 1967 | Love | 44% |
| Pawnee | North Dakota, USA | 1936 | Healing | 43% |
| Hopi | Northeastern Arizona/Northwestern New Mexico, USA | 1950 | Lullaby | 42% |
| Ye'kuana | Kuamaña, Venezuela | 1970 | Healing | 40% |
| Yaqui | Vicam, Sonora, Mexico | 1946 | Dance | 40% |
| Kuna | San Blas Islands, Panama | before 1983 | Healing | 40% |
| Tzeltal | Chiapas Highlands, Chiapas, Mexico | before 1972 | Dance | 40% |
| Nyangatom | Nakua, Nyangatom, South Omo Zone, Ethiopia | 2012 | Lullaby | 38% |
| Ona | Lake Fagnano, Argentina | 1966 | Lullaby | 37% |
| Bai | Jianchuan, Dali, Yunnan, China | 1984 | Love | 37% |
| Highland Scots | Castlebay, Barra, Outer Hebrides, Scotland | 1951 | Love | 37% |
| Thakali | Tukuche, Mid-Western Development Region, Nepal | 1959 | Love | 35% |
| Kurds | Bawale (near Sonqor), Kermanshah Province, Iran | 1962 | Lullaby | 35% |
| Ojibwa | Vineland, Minnesota, USA | 1971 | Love | 34% |
| Kurds | Yekşawa, Iran | 1962 | Dance | 34% |
| Turkmen | Turkmen Sahra, Iran | 1972–1977 | Healing | 34% |
| Yapese | Falalop, Woleai, Yap, Federated States of Micronesia | 1984 | Lullaby | 33% |
| Mi'kmaq | Eel Ground, New Brunswick, Canada | 1911 | Love | 33% |
| Rwandans | Nyanza, Rwanda | 1952 | Love | 32% |
| Tuareg | Timbuktu, Mali | before 1939 | Lullaby | 31% |
| Chewa | Chadza, Lilongwe, Malawi | 1958 | Lullaby | 29% |
| Georgians | East Georgia | 2003 | Healing | 28% |
| Bahia Brazilians | Santa Brígida, Bahia, Brazil | 1998 | Healing | 28% |
| Yapese | Falalop, Woleai, Yap, Federated States of Micronesia | 1984 | Healing | 27% |
| Maasai | Arusha Baraza, Arusha district, Tanzania | 1950 | Dance | 27% |
| Tuareg | (approximate) Aïr Mountains, Niger | before 1960 | Love | 27% |
| Melpa | Western Highlands Province, Papua New Guinea | before 2011 | Love | 26% |
| Chuuk | Truk Island, Caroline Islands, Federated States of Micronesia | 1907 | Love | 26% |
| Marathi | Karnataka, India | before 1938 | Lullaby | 24% |
| Kelabit | South Kalimantan, Indonesia | 1997–1998 | Love | 23% |
| Chachi | Esmeraldas, Ecuador | before 1986 | Dance | 22% |
| Nenets | Samburg, Yamalo-Nenetskiy, Russia | 1997 | Love | 21% |
| Kogi | Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Aracataca, Magdalena, Colombia | 1971 | Healing | 21% |
| Mataco | Gran Chaco, Argentina | 1974 | Dance | 20% |
| Highland Scots | Outer Hebrides, United Kingdom  | before 1952 | Lullaby | 20% |
| Huichol | San Sebastián, Mexico | 1898 | Love | 19% |
| Kwakwaka'wakw | British Columbia, Canada | 1947–1953 | Healing | 18% |
| Hawaiians | Waikiki, Hawaii, USA | 1935 | Love | 18% |
| Zulu | Mahlabatini, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa | 1955 | Love | 17% |
| Ainu | Okaribe, Hokkaido, Japan | 1978 | Dance | 17% |
| Kogi | Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia | 1960–1961 | Love | 17% |
| Kwakwaka'wakw | British Columbia, Canada | 1947–1953 | Love | 16% |
| Alacaluf | Punta Arenas, Chile | 1996 | Love | 16% |
| Fulani | Téra, Niger | 1972–1996 | Love | 15% |
| Seri | El Desemboque, Sonora, Mexico | 1966 | Lullaby | 15% |
| Tunisians | Tunis, Tunisia | 2009 | Healing | 15% |
| Garifuna | Barranco, Belize  | before 1982 | Love | 15% |
| Saami | Övre Soppero, Sweden | 1953 | Love | 13% |
| Nahua | Morelos and Guerrero, Mexico | 1962–1968 | Love | 12% |
| Saramaka | Pikílío River, Suriname | 1967–1968 | Love | 12% |
| Uttar Pradesh (India) | Karimganj, Mainpuri District, Uttar Pradesh, India | 1994 | Healing | 12% |
| Iwaidja | Croker Island, West Arnhem, Northern Territory, Australia | 2004 | Love | 11% |
| Chukchee | Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Russia | before 1997 | Lullaby | 11% |
| Lunda | Jadotville, Katanga, Democratic Republic of the Congo | 1957 | Healing | 10% |
| Akan | Dimbokro, Côte d'Ivoire | 1946–1952 | Healing | 8% |
| Pawnee | Pawnee, Oklahoma, USA | 1936 | Love | 7% |
| Emberá | Chocó Department, Colombia | 1960 | Dance | 7% |
| Navajo | Navajo Nation Reservation, USA | 1952–1963 | Love | 6% |
| Lardil | Mornington Island, Queensland, Australia | 1966 | Lullaby | 5% |
| Blackfoot | Browning, Montana, USA | 1966 | Lullaby | 3% |
| Aymara | Cariquima, Colchane, Región de Tarapacá, Chile | 1974 | Dance | 2% |

Source: Mehr et al. (2019), Science 366, eaax0868, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aax0868 · https://github.com/themusiclab/nhs