The Universal Language Of The World

Our world is built up of different languages, cultures, places and much more. However, one aspect of life that we can all relate to and understand is music. Music has been acknowledged as a universal language for many years but if we go further into this, what is the true meaning of it and is music really a universal language?

Music has been described as a ‘universal language’ because it is something almost everyone can understand regardless of language barriers. You don’t have to know a language to feel the message a song is trying to get across to you. The sound is directed at our emotions instead of using speech or grammar.

One reason people feel so strongly about the statement, ‘music is a universal language’ is because of how our brains respond to music and sounds in general. Certain patterns or noises can make us feel calm, excited or even sad. A slow, soft tune can calm us down whereas a fast, loud beat can make us want to move. No one has made us feel this way or told us to feel this way, we feel it as a response to the music. For example, there is a famous chord in music called a Tritone or ‘The Devil’s Chord’, named due to it’s dissonant and unsettling sound. I’ve used this example because it is a chord that has been (and still currently) used in soundtracks and classical pieces. The chord is a musical interval that includes 3 whole tones, creating an on-edge/uneasy feeling. It has such an uncomfortable sound that when the chord was played years ago, people assumed it summoned the devil, hence the name. Composers utilised this and the chord became a popular way to create an uncomfortable feeling within their pieces. Recently, ‘Doctor Who’ released an episode based on the concept of ‘The Devil’s Chord’ where an evil being appeared at the sound of the chord. This episode was interesting as they ran with the beliefs of the tritone, in turn, captivating the audience, stimulating the on-edge feeling. Did you know the first three notes of ‘The Simpsons’ theme tune is ‘The Devil’s Chord’? or the main riff in Black Sabbath by Black Sabbath? You are a lot more familiar with this sound than you think.

A key aspect to this topic is whether the emotions and feelings of the music stem from the vocal contributions. Are the emotions brought out by the words or singing in the song/piece? As a classical musician, in my opinion, no they are not. We have already acknowledged that ‘The Devil’s Chord’ (a set of notes, with no connection to the voice) creates an emotional atmosphere, there are a multitude of pieces that are composed instrumentally without vocal qualities that creates an emotional feel for the listener. I personally do not believe that vocal music is the sole reason for emotions and feelings, for me, the emotions come from the melodies and tunes. To give an example, one of my favourite pieces of music is ‘Nessus Dorma’ from Puccini’s Opera Turundot. The aria brings me to tears every time I hear it. However, I have the same reaction to the song regardless of whether Pavarotti is singing the aria or if the song is being covered on a piano, either way I am overcome with emotion. In my opinion, this is because of Puccini’s beauty of a melody. Lets angle this is a different direction and we use Opera as an example. If you go to see an Opera at the Royal Opera House in London, most of the time the Opera will be in a different language and maybe one that you don’t understand. Most Opera houses have translation screens of the viewers to understand what is being sung, however, if you were listening to an operatic song on Spotify, the translations aren’t there but you would still have an understanding of the emotions due to the melody, the tempo, the key, how the singer is singing and/or the instruments being played. This is universal and means that any song can be listened to and enjoyed by many diverse people.

Music has always been an important integrated aspect of cultures. Every culture perceives music in their own way. But it is also a way to share cultures and include others into the history. From specific dances to folk songs displaying their stories, the traditions are often carried through generations making the music more meaningful. In Ireland, folk music tells stories of history, love and struggles. In Africa, ‘talking drums’ mimics the tones and rhythms of human speech, allowing communications between villages for centuries. Even though you may not understand the exact meaning of these traditions, you still enjoy the sound, feel something from it, and have a deeper appreciation due to the context of the traditional history. You constantly hear and see stories about people from opposite sides of the country coming together to play music for an orchestra or band. My favourite experience of this was when I was walking through Kings Cross snd seeing someone play ‘Great Balls of Fire’ on one of the pianos. A man walked up to the pianist and started singing along. Obviously, this created a large crowd of people watching as both were very talented. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the names of the two people but was so surprised and enlightened when I found out that neither one spoke each other’s language and once the song was over, they simple shook hands, appreciated each other’s talents and walked on to their destinations. It was almost as though they didn’t need to say anything because everything had been spoken through the music. Such a beautiful way to show how music brings people together.

Every culture in our world has music, scientists who study people, have never found a human group without it. Music is continuous throughout our lives. Babies respond to music before they can speak. A lullaby can calm them to sleep whereas an upbeat song can make them kick their legs or clap, showing that a human response to music is something we are born with. We include music and the arts into all of our important lifetime events. We use and play music at weddings, birthdays and graduations, and sing hymns at funerals. We celebrate sport teams with victory songs and countries have national anthems to bring people together, feeling proud to be part of a community. Music has been used politically for a long time also. Protest songs are used worldwide to create a sense of togetherness and to inspire people to fight for change. Music is a powerful tool; from Ethel Smyth’s ‘March Of The Woman’ song for the suffragette movement to Hitler’s favourite composer, Wagner, being associated with the World Wars just because Hitler liked him. The relationship between music and politics is incredibly complicated so look out for a separate extract on that topic.

Now in 2025, the use technology has made music even more universal. You are able to listen to songs from anywhere in just a few clicks of a button. Im based in London and can access K-pop from South Korea or Jazz from the United States whenever and wherever I am. With more musicians putting their work on the internet, other musicians can borrow and blend sounds from different countries to create an alternative sound, songs and even sometimes genres. A great example, I recently performed in an Opera with Leeds Conservatoire (check out the ‘Trials Of Opera blog’!) where we created an Opera using many of Mozart’s well known pieces. We took these pieces and mixed in a jazz trio as an accompaniment. This created a whole new sound and atmosphere to the arias and pieces we know and love. Another example is how Afrobeats blends African drumming with funk Jazz, showing how music can travel and connect cultures.

I believe one of the reasons that music is so special, is because music connects people who otherwise have nothing in common. Two people might not share religion, languages or cultures but they can move to the same beat or feel the same emotion from a melody. They share this experience, helping to break down any barriers and create wonderful experiences and relationships.

To conclude, I believe strongly that music is referred to as a universal language because it speaks deeper than words. It reaches and sometimes controls our emotions and feeling, reflects and shows our cultures and helps us connect to each other in the hectic and chaotic world. There doesn’t need to be an understanding of the lyrics to feel the power a song holds. Whether it is a crowd singing together at a concert, a family bidding farewell to a loved one through music, someone humming at work, or children clapping to a beat, music evidently shows that despite our differences, humans everywhere holds the same love for the art.