Music in your head?

[TonyB]

I fully expect this thread to end up in PD, but I 'learnt' something today which just does not make sense to me. I was on one of those 'personality type' courses that large corporations are fond of sending staff on, and they said something that just does not seem right to me....

Supposedly, a decent percentage of the population can not play music in their heads. ie, pick a song, and 'play' it in your head exactly like you hear it on the CD/radio/mp3 or whatever. I thought to myself "this just can't be right....surely" And its bugging me a bit, so...."do a poll on KB" I thought...while "Prentender" played in my head....

So, if you genuinely can't do it...whats it like? Shit, I ALWAYS have a song of some sort playing in my head, I can't imagine life without it I can play the song note perfect, make it different, whatever I want...can't everyone?? Next they'll be telling me that some people can't read a story to their kids and think about something totally unrelated at the same time

[Chickadee]

Yep, pretty freaky how the brain remembers things. I often can play tracks in my head without the aid of a player. If I'm listening to music & I've heard the CD before when a songs ending my brain gives me a pre-view of the song (first part of the song) coming up - whether to skip or turn up the volume. Aren't I a freak, but it sure comes in handy.

Anyone else do this (song pre-view thing)?

[MSTRS:Me]

Music in my head is not a problem. But if I try to 'sing' the words...I can't remember them...well, not unless the real song is playing. Strange, that.

[TonyB]

17, 0 hmm, perhaps the fact that we all ride motorbikes makes us predisposed to 'hearing' music?

[car]

Yep, pretty freaky how the brain remembers things. I often can play tracks in my head without the aid of a player. If I'm listening to music & I've heard the CD before when a songs ending my brain gives me a pre-view of the song (first part of the song) coming up - whether to skip or turn up the volume. Aren't I a freak, but it sure comes in handy.

Anyone else do this (song pre-view thing)?

Yes, always. And it jars slightly if I'm, for instance, listening to a compilation in which the ordering is not what my brain tells me is coming up.

There was a discussion some moons ago on UKRM (a motorcycling newsgroup) about what song people "play" in their heads when riding. For me, if anything, probably Ride of the Valkyries, or maybe "O Fortuna" from Carmina Burana. That or something by Rage Against the Machine.

Ah, now I've got the opening of "Bombtrack" twiddling away.

I just asked the missus, and she says yes to both the playing music in the head, and the preview thing.

[PirateJafa]

Yup.

The instant I hop on the motorbike I boot up my mental Bon Jovi playlist.

[paturoa]

I can't. I can only sing some of the words to songs with my thinking voice.

I can remember the national anthem (in english) and that is about it. I have tried a dozen times to learn the Lumber Jack song and still can't much past "... go to the lavatory"

So you can "hear" the music or notes??

...Next they'll be telling me that some people can't read a story to their kids and think about something totally unrelated at the same time

Nope, but I can listen "intently" to my wife while thinking about something totaly different!

Edit: I can wiggle my ears ..

[Guitana]

It's great is'nt it who needs an Ipod!

[Fastchick]

I get realy crappy songs stuck in my head and they drive me nuts

[Hitcher]

Baby, what do you say we just get lost?
Leave this one horse town like two rebels without a cause.
I got people in Boston.
Ain't your daddy still in Des Moines?
We can pack up tomorrow.
Tonight, lets flip a coin

Heads Carolina, tails California.
Somewhere greener, somewhere warmer.
Up in the mountains, down by the ocean.
Where? it don't matter, as long as were goin'
Somewhere together. I've got a quarter.
Heads Carolina, tails California.

[Mom]

Music in my head is not a problem. But if I try to 'sing' the words...I can't remember them...well, not unless the real song is playing. Strange, that.

I can sing along to lots of songs! Some I actually know the words to, some I dont Frustrating but oh well........

I can't. I can only sing some of the words to songs with my thinking voice.

Therein lies your problem.......give up your thinking voice mate and let rip!

Oh and to answer TonyB's question, yes.

Music, I often "sing along to" if you can say that about music with no lyrics! some amazing stuff, some I have played and some I have heard. Not only do I hear music in my mind at anytime, the interesting thing is when I am busy I dont hear them so much, but bet they are there all the time!

[Usarka]

thanks for putting this bloody song in my head now it wont stop make it go away.....

In your head, in your head,
Zombie, zombie, zombie,
Hey, hey, hey. What's in your head,
In your head,
Zombie, zombie, zombie?
Hey, hey, hey, hey, oh, dou, dou, dou, dou, dou...

[TonyB]

I can't. I can only sing some of the words to songs with my thinking voice.

I can remember the national anthem (in english) and that is about it. I have tried a dozen times to learn the Lumber Jack song and still can't much past "... go to the lavatory"

So you can "hear" the music or notes??..

So you genuinely can't play a song in your head? I can't imagine not being able to... What I hear is exactly what you hear listening to the same song on a stereo/ipod or whatever. Every instrument, note, the whole lot, (unless I choose to mentaly add in my own guitar solo or something...) BUT, if I don't actually know the correct words I'll still hear it as I do with my ears, it doesn't help me figure out what the words are. For me life is accompanied by a musical soundtrack, eg someone will say something that reminds me of a song (almost everything does) and bingo, the song thats playing in my head switches over to that song

Edit: I can wiggle my ears ..

I've been trying to do that for years! Still can't do it!

[Goblin]

It's usually the last song I heard that sticks in my head. I find it really hard to think of a song title or the tune when there's other music playing.

One song I love to hear last thing before riding......

"Vicinity Of Obscenity"

Liar!
Liar!
Banana banana banana terracotta banana terracotta terracotta pie!
Banana banana banana terracotta banana terracotta terracotta pie!

Is there a perfect way of holding you baby?! (Liar)
Vicinity of Obscenity in your eyes!
Terracotta terracotta terracotta PIE!
Is there a perfect way of holding you baby?! (Liar)

Vicinity of Obscenity in your eyes!
Terracotta pie (Hey!)
Terracotta pie (Hey!)
Terracotta pie (Hey!)
Terracotta pie!

Banana banana banana banana terracotta banana terrecotta terracotta pie!
Banana banana banana banana terracotta banana terrecotta terracotta pie!
Do we all learn defeat from the whores with bad feet
Beat the meat (beat the meat),
Treat the feet (treat the feet)
To the sweet, milky seat

Banana banana banana terracotta banana terracotta terracotta pie!
Banana banana banana terracotta banana terrecotta terracotta pie!

[Ocean1]

What I hear is exactly what you hear listening to the same song on a stereo/ipod or whatever. Every instrument, note, the whole lot, (unless I choose to mentaly add in my own guitar solo or something...) BUT, if I don't actually know the correct words I'll still hear it as I do with my ears, it doesn't help me figure out what the words are.

Just so, at least while my attention's on the music. When my attention's elsewhere the music often continues on in the background though, and usually when I notice it again it's changed, different emphisis, beat, instruments. Often I'll find that several quite complex tracks have merged, sort of cycling from one into another, without me having even noticed. Occasionally I find something quite good, and completely unrecognisible there, drives me crazy because I never know if it evolved from a mix of remembered stuff or someone in there wrote it from scratch while I wasn't looking...