ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the pleasurable effects of musical resistance, which is understood as the ability not to be affected by something that is musically undesirable. Through the application of theories by Eric Clarke (affordance), David Huron (expectation) and Jerrold Levinson (concatenation) to an experiment that tests the cognitive and sensory ability of trained and untrained listeners, the fortes and weaknesses of each proposition are delineated. The author contends that the affective principles of resistance are epistemologically superior for the purpose of apprehending musical understanding and enjoyment. Listening symbolically is considered to be an effective means towards achieving fuller musical meaning.
