# What does Western music sound like to non-western ears?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-western-music-sound-like-to-non-western-ears/176859>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [May 22, 2003, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-western-music-sound-like-to-non-western-ears/176859 "2003-05-22T18:45:38Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Engywook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bc8723/32.png) [@Engywook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Engywook)\
**Post date:** [May 22, 2003, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-western-music-sound-like-to-non-western-ears/176859/1 "2003-05-22T18:45:38Z")

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In another thread about using heavy metal as an “interrogation aid” with Iraqi prisoners, somebody mentioned that certain music would have a magnified impact on somebody who isn’t familiar with western music.

That got me thinking about things like Chinese opera, which, when first I heard, I was surprised to learn was music. Not to be disparaging to any culture’s art forms, but from my limited perspective, I didn’t think of this as music.

So… how does, for example, Mozart sound to somebody whose musical tradition is completely different?