LOL - hard to imagine SWFL flitting across the pub - hair (and glasses?) flying freely in the breeze like the little blond gal from Riverdance.
Seeing colors while playing? Just once - the fiddle player next to me jabbed me in the eye on an up-bow. I saw a rainbow of hues, as well as a few stars.
If locking down his hair doesn't work, maybe we could shave it all off so he looks like a "bald' egg. He does seem to be a good egg who is slightly cracked.
Synesthesia. I have it with chords/keys in ITM and a bit with some other stuff (a week is a rounded semi-circle with the flat bit at the top).
I see D major as brown. D minor as a dark green. G is a pale but bright yellow. I go to a pub session that is mixed and if it's dominated by wompy English music the conversation with mates on the phone the next day often goes:
A is red. Am is sort of burgundy. D is orange-yellow (like the color of the mustard board). G is green-yellow and Gm is blue-green. Bm is hues of blue and sort of dark yellow. Em is dark blue.
D seems like a bulgy semi-circle.
A is like a triangle with its bottom riding up too high.
G is like a self-loathing circle that turns in on itself before completion.
E reminds me it's time to comb my hair.
I don't associate musical pitch with color. At least not in any way that's made itself obvious to me. Maybe I'm just not paying attention with that particular sense. Maybe the physical sensation overwhelms the chromatic response. Maybe I'm just dull.
There's been a lot of talk of synesthesia on this web site. It makes me wonder how prevalent the disorder actually is, or whether some people like to think they have it, or merely imagine they have it. It's a silly thing to imagine you have.
It's some sort of mishap with neural connections of course. A crossing over of connections between what your brain should be receiving as sound, but it inadvertently converts to a visual thing. It shouldn't be debilitating, but it's certainly distracting.
If you do have synesthesia, the best advice, as far as music making is concerned, is to try to ignore it.
I've never seen colors but whenever I play fiddle I feel like I'm riding on the waves or a bumpy road. As for the synesthesia I think it's really all just associating things you know. Wouldn't any normal brain do that?
Throwing in my less than 2 cents. D ( for me the color shade may change with the timbre, instrument material etc.) is deep blue. It's not something I talk much about. Me crazy????? Don't ask my kids ok.
I swear, I ever get Jusa and fauxcelt in the same place I'm going to duck out of the pub for a second and come skipping back in with a long blonde wig on. Best put some Vasoline on yer eyeballs for the full effect though, gives it that mushy new agey look.
I read Dr. Sack's book some time ago. The question came up when a musician acquaintnace mentioned they heard music in colors. My competitive side was very frustrated because that is something I don't have and still have trouble understanding conceptually how the synthesia works.
Actualy Pure Drop said something that I talk about all the time and didin't even think about. Shape of sound. Particularly ropundness, ovalness and hollowness. Especially on slow music or music with alot of expression.
It is interesting though, the responses of those who do enjoy this seems to be in about the proportion Dr. Sacks talks about in the book...... That book could have been written in about 150 fewer pages!
Anyway, on SWFL's comment, If my locks ever got long enough to throw around, Herself would drag me over to Frank my barber and tell him to give me a "Marine Corps Issue" haircut.....no offense to the Marines, but I look silly with it.
Far out man. Last time I saw colors induced by music was at a Phish concert in the early 90s and some pretty hippie girl had just given me a drink of Kool-Aid. Lesson learned the hard way.
Just for that SWFL Fiddler, I will have to show up wearing a gray wig with long hair since that is the most appropriate color for me.
"Wouldn't any normal brain do that?" What if you don't have a normal brain?
What color is D?
What color is D?
Or any other note for that matter. Interesting visualization question.
I don't see colors. Some freinds say they do. But I can "see" the sheet music in my head (when I have learned something from paper spots).
Learning 'by ear', I can hear the music, but can't see it. But the fingers are getting better at knowing what to do.
Just thought I would do an unscientific poll.
Thanks
Zip
# Posted on August 12th 2009 by zippydw
Re: What color is D?
To me, all music is Gray--except for the Blues.
# Posted on August 12th 2009 by fauxcelt
Re: What color is D?
You must have been reading Musicophila by Sacks. Interesting, but he does go on and on and on....and on.
if you haven't, perhaps you should since you asked this question.
# Posted on August 12th 2009 by skin&bow
Re: What color is D?
musicophilia
# Posted on August 12th 2009 by skin&bow
Re: What color is D?
http://www.thesession.org/discussions/display.php/4869
# Posted on August 12th 2009 by slainte
Re: What color is D?
Nope, no colors here. Not much goes on while I'm playing, actually. Just the tune. Leaves me free to make funny faces and toss my long locks around.
# Posted on August 12th 2009 by SWFL Fiddler
Re: What color is D?
If you are going to tossing your "long locks" around, we will be forced to lock down your hair while you are playing.
# Posted on August 12th 2009 by fauxcelt
Re: What color is D?
daffodil yellow, according to marian mcpartland:
http://www.newyorker.com/archive/1973/01/20/1973_01_20_043_TNY_CARDS_000307191
# Posted on August 12th 2009 by prestonian
Re: What color is D?
LOL - hard to imagine SWFL flitting across the pub - hair (and glasses?) flying freely in the breeze like the little blond gal from Riverdance.
Seeing colors while playing? Just once - the fiddle player next to me jabbed me in the eye on an up-bow. I saw a rainbow of hues, as well as a few stars.
# Posted on August 12th 2009 by Jusa Nutter Eejit
Re: What color is D?
Sorry. I'm colordeaf.
# Posted on August 12th 2009 by GaryAMartin
Re: What color is D?
If locking down his hair doesn't work, maybe we could shave it all off so he looks like a "bald' egg. He does seem to be a good egg who is slightly cracked.
# Posted on August 12th 2009 by fauxcelt
Re: What color is D?
Colordeaf...I love it!
# Posted on August 12th 2009 by oriley
Re: What color is D?
Definitely blue. don't see it when i'm playing it, but it is the only logical answer. In contrast to Eb, which is more orangeish.
# Posted on August 12th 2009 by TMB
Re: What color is D?
I'm an anomalous trichromat... so whatever colour I see... it might not be the same as the rest of you.
# Posted on August 12th 2009 by davydd
Re: What color is D?
Synesthesia. I have it with chords/keys in ITM and a bit with some other stuff (a week is a rounded semi-circle with the flat bit at the top).
I see D major as brown. D minor as a dark green. G is a pale but bright yellow. I go to a pub session that is mixed and if it's dominated by wompy English music the conversation with mates on the phone the next day often goes:
"Good session?"
"Not really - yellow all night."
# Posted on August 12th 2009 by Sugarfoot Jack
Re: What color is D?
I think it's green, and A is supposed to be yellow, something like that.
# Posted on August 12th 2009 by fedorastain
Re: What color is D?
A is red. Am is sort of burgundy. D is orange-yellow (like the color of the mustard board). G is green-yellow and Gm is blue-green. Bm is hues of blue and sort of dark yellow. Em is dark blue.
Am I starting to sound crazy?
# Posted on August 12th 2009 by DrSilverSpear
Re: What color is D?
It's more like shapes for me.
D seems like a bulgy semi-circle.
A is like a triangle with its bottom riding up too high.
G is like a self-loathing circle that turns in on itself before completion.
E reminds me it's time to comb my hair.
# Posted on August 12th 2009 by NEW Pure Drop® Ear Canal Oil
Re: What color is D?
I thought you were already so crazy that you didn't need to sound crazy on this web site, SilverSpear.
# Posted on August 12th 2009 by fauxcelt
Re: What color is D?
Blue. No yellow -- Auuuuuuuugh!
# Posted on August 12th 2009 by Bob himself
Re: What color is D?
Huh?
# Posted on August 12th 2009 by DrSilverSpear
Re: What color is D?
It's a cinematic allusion. You must not be a perpetually adolescent male.
# Posted on August 12th 2009 by Bob himself
Re: What color is D?
I don't associate musical pitch with color. At least not in any way that's made itself obvious to me. Maybe I'm just not paying attention with that particular sense. Maybe the physical sensation overwhelms the chromatic response. Maybe I'm just dull.
# Posted on August 12th 2009 by Bob himself
Re: What color is D?
There's been a lot of talk of synesthesia on this web site. It makes me wonder how prevalent the disorder actually is, or whether some people like to think they have it, or merely imagine they have it. It's a silly thing to imagine you have.
It's some sort of mishap with neural connections of course. A crossing over of connections between what your brain should be receiving as sound, but it inadvertently converts to a visual thing. It shouldn't be debilitating, but it's certainly distracting.
If you do have synesthesia, the best advice, as far as music making is concerned, is to try to ignore it.
# Posted on August 12th 2009 by llig leahcim
Re: What color is D?
I've never seen colors but whenever I play fiddle I feel like I'm riding on the waves or a bumpy road. As for the synesthesia I think it's really all just associating things you know. Wouldn't any normal brain do that?
# Posted on August 12th 2009 by underthetoaster
Re: What color is D?
I'm guessing violet could be C and D is blue, E is light blue F area sort of green, A would be yellow Bb to B would be orange to red area..
# Posted on August 12th 2009 by fedorastain
Re: What color is D?
By the way I had a bout of synesthesia years ago and it does nothing but confuse you and distract you from the music.
# Posted on August 12th 2009 by fedorastain
Re: What color is D?
http://home.comcast.net/~sean.day/html/composers___musicians.html
# Posted on August 13th 2009 by mcknowall
Re: What color is D?
Rimsky-Korsakov had synesthetically colored musical keys:
C
G
D
A
E
B
F#
Db
Ab
Eb
Bb
F
white
brownish-gold, light
daylight, yellowish, royal
clear, pink
blue, sapphire, bright
gloomy, dark blue with steel shine
greyish-green
darkish, warm
greyish-violet
dark, gloomy, grey-bluish
darkish
green, clear (color of greenery)
# Posted on August 13th 2009 by mcknowall
Re: What color is D?
whoops
# Posted on August 13th 2009 by mcknowall
Re: What color is D?
Throwing in my less than 2 cents. D ( for me the color shade may change with the timbre, instrument material etc.) is deep blue. It's not something I talk much about. Me crazy????? Don't ask my kids ok.
# Posted on August 13th 2009 by janmarie
Re: What color is D?
I can't even smell my own name!
# Posted on August 13th 2009 by iwerzon
Re: What color is D?
Black
# Posted on August 13th 2009 by skin&bow
Re: What color is D?
I swear, I ever get Jusa and fauxcelt in the same place I'm going to duck out of the pub for a second and come skipping back in with a long blonde wig on. Best put some Vasoline on yer eyeballs for the full effect though, gives it that mushy new agey look.
# Posted on August 13th 2009 by SWFL Fiddler
Re: What color is D?
I read Dr. Sack's book some time ago. The question came up when a musician acquaintnace mentioned they heard music in colors. My competitive side was very frustrated because that is something I don't have and still have trouble understanding conceptually how the synthesia works.
Actualy Pure Drop said something that I talk about all the time and didin't even think about. Shape of sound. Particularly ropundness, ovalness and hollowness. Especially on slow music or music with alot of expression.
It is interesting though, the responses of those who do enjoy this seems to be in about the proportion Dr. Sacks talks about in the book...... That book could have been written in about 150 fewer pages!
Anyway, on SWFL's comment, If my locks ever got long enough to throw around, Herself would drag me over to Frank my barber and tell him to give me a "Marine Corps Issue" haircut.....no offense to the Marines, but I look silly with it.
# Posted on August 13th 2009 by zippydw
Re: What color is D?
What if you're are color-deaf & tone blind?
# Posted on August 13th 2009 by Lint - upon - Tweed
Re: What color is D?
I think we've all come across those in sessions some time or other
# Posted on August 13th 2009 by Trevor Jennings
Re: What color is D?
notes are slightly different colours to keys
the standard scale-ish thing looks like this i think
c natural - red
c sharp - orangey red...
d - orange
d sharp - bright yellow
e - yellow
f natural - green
f sharp - turquoise
g - blue
g sharp - a navy kind of colour
a - indigo
a sharp - like a deep purple colour
b - violet
# Posted on August 13th 2009 by Mrs.Lonal Dunny
Re: What color is D?
Far out man. Last time I saw colors induced by music was at a Phish concert in the early 90s and some pretty hippie girl had just given me a drink of Kool-Aid. Lesson learned the hard way.
# Posted on August 13th 2009 by SWFL Fiddler
Re: What color is D?
I didn't know any girls would admit to being hippies in the 90's.
I thought at that point they all were (american) Republicans
# Posted on August 13th 2009 by zippydw
Re: What color is D?
Ah, the University of Vermont is frozen in time. There's a reason they call it "Groovy U V".
# Posted on August 13th 2009 by SWFL Fiddler
Re: What color is D?
No offense intended, of course. GO CATAMOUNTS!
# Posted on August 13th 2009 by SWFL Fiddler
Re: What color is D?
Just for that SWFL Fiddler, I will have to show up wearing a gray wig with long hair since that is the most appropriate color for me.
"Wouldn't any normal brain do that?" What if you don't have a normal brain?
# Posted on August 13th 2009 by fauxcelt