Music Is Mostly Apollonian

 

Musicians who are more Apollonian, and use the left hemisphere more might like more complexity in all aspects of the music. But I’ve found that I can turn that on and off: If I approach the music more linearly and horizontally rather than from a vertical chordal approach I allow the harmony to be more consequential (counterpoint, basically). If I approach it from a purely rhythmic standpoint it tends to be the opposite of Apollonian because I’m not in analytical mode. However, things in odd meters tend to be analytical even if you’re playing them without having to count continuously. Jazz has always been known to be cerebral, which I think musicians like. It’s an expression of cool but in a 50s sense. Even today, people seem to like to talk shop about chords.