How do we identify a tune (melody) from a music piece amidst the sound made by many instrument that may be playing different notes at the same time? Several of human survival skills helps us to group related items (tune) and identify pattern from chaos:
(1) Proximity - related item is likely to be close to each other. Music usually uses notes that are close (1 or 2 steps up of down) in a melody. Notes in a melody also has temporal proximity. The notes flow one after another in succession
(2) Similarity - notes in a melody is usually carried by a same musical instrument like voice or piano
(3) Continuity - power to connecting the dots. Following the note flow, one can "predict" the following notes that made up a melody, even if the melody is carried by multiple instruments successively.
(4) Common fate - melody and accompaniment flows in different note pitch level, different trend (one going up and the other going down) and different rhythm.
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