Assessment of musical preferences and its association among Indian population

Abstract

Introduction and Aim: Music is known to have positive effects on humans and enhances mental health. This study presents the outcomes of a preliminary research that investigates Indian’s music preferences between string (sitar) and percussion (parai) instruments. Materials and Methods: 85 participants made up the sample (25 males and 60 females), who were aged between 18 and 60 and came from different regions of India. The participants responded to an online survey made up of Likert scale questions using Google forms. Results: According to preliminary findings from this study, female participants scored significantly (p<0.05) higher on the music preference scale for the string (sitar) instrument than male participants did. When compared to urban areas, people in rural areas have significantly (p<0.05) higher music preference scores. The participants’ preference score for percussion instruments was significantly (p<0.05) high as compared to string instruments. The male participants revealed significantly (p<0.05) high score for music importance when compared to the female participants. Conclusion: The study assessed the music preferences (sitar and parai) of Indian with an aid of questionnaire study with Likert scale. According to the study's findings, musical choices vary depending on a number of variables, including gender, age, place of residence, occupation, and musical instruments.