Chapter 03 of 5
Lullabies
Why every culture sings to babies, and why it works even in a foreign language.
- The Universal
Every culture
In every culture studied, adults sing to babies. Lullabies are one of humanity's most widespread kinds of song.
- The Sound
How we sing to babies
Around the world, songs for infants tend to be higher, slower and more repetitive, with warm, smooth voices.
- The Speech
Baby talk too
It's similar to how people talk to babies: sing-song tones and exaggerated pitch.
17 more cards in this chapter
Could you answer this?
What happened when US babies heard unfamiliar foreign lullabies?
🌍 The Song in Every Culture
- 01The Oldest InstrumentsFlutes carved from bird bones and mammoth ivory, made long before farming or writing.
- 02A Universal Language?Every society makes music, but not everyone hears it the same way.
- 03LullabiesWhy every culture sings to babies, and why it works even in a foreign language.
- 04Songs for WorkingSea shanties, weaving songs and why singing together makes hard work easier.
- 05Why We DanceThe urge to move, a dancing cockatoo and a medieval dancing plague.