Introductory notes to the Semiotics of Music - Philip Tagg's home page

44 P Tagg: Notes on Semiotics of Music Abbreviated taxonomy of PMFAs PMFCs
Abbreviated taxonomy of PMFAs PMFCs
THIS IS COVERED MUCH BETTER IN
CHAPTER 6 OF ’Music’s Meanings’
General attributive affects
This section includes all general descriptions of feeling, mood, sensation, size, colour,
tactility.
Culturally ambivalent, i.e. descriptive of an affect that a general consensus would probably
determine as neither clearly positive nor clearly negative within the culture to
which you belong. This category includes [1] relative dynamism: excitement, drama,
emotion, feelings, involvement, challenge, action, adventure, intense, complicated, different,
varying, irregular; [2] relative stasis: familiar, neutral, ordinary; unagressive;
simple; regular; [3] reflection, sentimentality, lyricism; [4] determination: confident, deliberate;
definite, destiny; [5] abandon: uncontrolled; ecstasy, passion; [6] balance, control,
serious; [7] humour: comedy; jokes; irony; [8] cultural dominance: important,
prestigious; grandiose; sophisticated; [9] cultural emergence; bravado; ‘cool’; flashy,
hip; rebellious
Culturally positive, i.e. descriptive of affect that a general consensus would probably determine
as positive within the culture to which you belong. This category includes [1]
general: good, pleasant positive; delightful; confident, encouraging, hope; [2] love,
kindness: friendly, loving; romance; sensual; gentle; kind; [3] tranquillity, security:
peace; still, calm; protected; harmonious; easy, relaxed; [4] joy, festivity: elated, happy,
carefree, fun, festive; [5] beauty, attraction: enchanting; impressive; elegant; shapely;
[6] lightness, brightness, openness, freshness; [7] strength, pride, success: brave, heroic;
independent; [8] wisdom, trust, justice; [9] order: correct; tidy; efficient
Culturally negative, i.e. descriptive of affect that a general consensus would probably determine
as negative within the culture to which you belong. This category includes [1]
general: bad, nasty, wrong, unpleasant; [2] enmity, aggression, implacability: hate, anger,
revenge, inhuman, hostile, cruel, violent; [3] disturbance, danger: unrest; difficulties,
problems; confused, frustrated, worried; strained; menacing, ominous; agitation,
stress; [4] sadness, boredom: disappointment, despondency, misery; tragedy, sorrow;
languishing; dejection, abandonment, loneliness; boring, listless; pessimistic; [5] ugliness,
repulsion: disgust; creepy; crude; gaudy; [6] darkness, encumbrance, clandestinity,
miasma: gloom, shady, stealth; heavy; confined, stuffy; worn out; ill; decadent,
dirty; death; drugged; [7] weakness, fear, failure: doubtful; uncertain; miserly; [8] madness,
futility, suspicion: ridiculous, stupid; futile; guilt, jealousy; [9] disorder: mess,
chaos, shambles, state of flux; [10] asociality: criminal, robbery, prostitution, smuggling
Culturally neutral, i.e. descriptive of affect that a general consensus would probably determine
as neutral within the culture to which you belong. This category includes [1]
asperity: rough, hard, tough, tight, steep, jagged, bitter, dry; [2] mollity: smooth, mild,
soft, curved, loose, sweet, humid; [3] heat: glowing, warm; [4] cold: cool, freezing; [5]
largeness: great, immense, broad, high, long, full, more and more, total; [6] smallness:
little, tiny, narrow, low, short, decreasing, private; [7] density: compact, crowded, deep;
[8] sparsity: empty, shallow; [9] colour: multicoloured, black and white; blue; green;
yellow; red, etc.
Beings, props, gatherings.
This section includes all foreground figures (humans, animals, objects), as well as gatherings
and groups of both humans and animals.