Neuroscientists are closing in on a striking idea: some brain cells appear to be tuned specifically to music, firing in patterns that let us anticipate the next note before it arrives. Instead of ...

Notes with frequencies that are in simple whole-number ratios, like 1:2, 2:3 or 4:5, sound good when played together. This is the basis of musical harmony. After unison (1:1) and the octave (2:1), the ...