The Happy
Baby Song
By Emma Jayne Morgan
I recently found an interesting article about music which has been designed based on research of the
sounds that make babies happy. Research has found that babies prefer a female voice, especially when
using “motherese” which is the singsong tone most of us naturally put on when talking to a small child.
The song that was designed was based on observations of what babies prefer, for example as babies’
heart rates are faster than older children so the music should be of a higher tempo. They recorded the
female voice in the presence of a real baby so that the “motherese” would be more natural rather than
put on. It was in a major key with a simple and repetitive main melody, including musical devices like
drum rolls, key changes and rising pitch glides to provid opportunities for anticipation and surprise.
They even found the sounds that made babies happier such as “boo”, animal sounds, blowing
raspberies etc. and incorporated them.
So why not try out this song with the babies in your class by following the link below and let us know
how they respond.
LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjpraGVs2Sg