In 1 Samuel 18:6, they signify affections and the joys they produce. Music and instruments also signify worship from joy of heart. In general, wind instruments express affections of good; stringed instruments, affection of truth. When producing harmonic sounds they actually move those affections. The cause lies in the nature of sound itself, and so from the correspondence of things which flow from the relationship of things in the natural world with things in the spiritual world; thus, musical instruments correspond to the delights and pleasantnesses of spiritual and celestial affections -- some to the former and some to the latter. (Apocalypse Explained 1185;, Arcana Coelestia 8337[2]) Discrete sounds excite affections of truth, and the continuous sounds arouse affections of good. (Apocalypse Explained 323, Apocalypse Revealed 792)