Sometimes I randomly read around the blogs while I have my second cup of tea, and then, later, cannot remember where I read the interesting thing I want to tell you about. This is one of those times. Sorry.
Anyway, at one of the sewing blogs, I read about a fellow who could imagine what any tune would sound like on any instrument or in any style. The blogger felt that this was kind of sad, because then there would be no surprises when, perhaps, he heard “Under the Boardwalk” performed by a Big Band and a barbershop quartet or something.
I was very surprised by this.
When I do my little Advent calendar of music and suggest that you listen to a midi file and then play it on your jazz violin, I have always assumed that you could, upon hearing the electronic plunking of the melody, readily imagine it with whatever style or instrument you prefer. Or several possibilities, of which you could then choose one. In fact, I always figure that you — if perchance you don’t know enough doo-wop girls to gather up a quartet on the spur of the moment — can just hear it in your mind in that way and enjoy it without having to make new friends in the doo-wop community. Just as I assume that you could imagine a sweater made in a different color from the one in the pattern picture.
Am I wrong, or is the blogger in question the unusual one?
Understand that I am not criticizing her for this mental handicap. I bet she doesn’t have to sew classic trouser pockets in three times because she can’t quite visualize how pieces of fabric go to become a three-dimensional garment. But I figure that I am the unusual one in the whole matter of dimensionality in sewing, and that she is the unusual one in the matter of mental arrangement of music.
If you are willing to be part of this unscientific sampling, please tell me your own experience. Can you imagine “The ABC Song” played on a tuba? In ragtime? Or any other concatenation, really. I just wanted to specify something you probably haven’t actually heard in real life.
I’m honored to be the first in your survey — and glad to be able to tell you that my mind, with regard to music, works like yours. The “ABC Song” played on a tuba, or in ragtime, or sung by a barbershop quartet, or done on the pipe organ ….. I can do any or all of it in my head.
Now sewing — that’s something else again.
I can, with an effort, imagine the ABC song played on a tuba, but not in ragtime. I don’t know if it’s because I haven’t had much training in music or because my mind simply doesn’t work that way, but I can’t hear in my head what I haven’t heard with my ears.
Of course that means I’m pleasantly surprised when I do hear, say, a Dixieland version of Adeste Fideles or something.
I don’t really try to imagine such things.
Hmmm…i’m not really sure. I have had a lot of music training (absolutely excellent grade school music teacher [for instance, we HAD to learn to read music, no choice about it], who later became my piano teacher (total about 10 years), 4 years of band, 2 semesters organ lessons, self-taught basics of recorder and tin whistle). I think I can imagine particular instruments easier than styles. Ragtime, for instance, is a bit hard to for to picture in my mind for other songs. But that might be because I’m not terribly familiar with it. As an 80s metal, 80s pop, or Celtic song, it’s a little easier. LOL
I’m far les experienced and knowledgeable about music than you are. I also have a hearing problem, and have had for more than half of my life, so I may not be a good one to ask about the music part.
I mean, I’m guessing that for your theory you mean people that can see and hear properly. I am far more visually-oriented, largely because I can see well.
Almost without noticing it, I slowly played my guitar less and less until I wasn’t playing it anymore as my hearing loss progressed. I didn’t realize why until later.
I can easily hear the ABC song played on the tuba in my imagination. When I try to imagine it in ragtime, I hear The Entertainer. I could probably pick it out on an instrument a few times to learn it and then, over a succession of tries, gradually push it into ragtime.
Pathetic, huh?
I can look at an orthographic projection (front, side and top views) and see an object in three dimensions. And I can see it flopped (mirror image, left-to-right) in my mind. Or rotate it or rearrange it. And I can tell you that the ability to do that is VERY rare.
When exposed to ragweed, I sometimes visually flop things inintentionally. This is called Dyslexia, and it seems to require the ability to visualize really well before it can get out of control that way. And it usually required an allergin to disrupt that way.
I have a friend who has red-green color blindness, he also insists that the food I like is tastless. Several conversations with him on these topics started me on a quest of my own.
I objected to him putting pepper in food when he was cooking because I don’t like it. I told him to add it to his food after cooking so I wouldn’t have to eat it.
He was mystified by my objection and couldn’t understand it because pepper has no taste to him! I can taste it. It’s very strong. It turns out he’s got a hard time tasting anything at all. The rich-in-flavor food that I love is bland and tasteless to him. And the things he thinks have a bit of flavor are things that would nearly knock me unconscious.
Keep on with your quest, and keep us informed. If I think of more info on this topic, I’ll put it in my blog.
I don’t think it’s unusual. I am always surprised and please when I hear songs I know played differently than I expect; like every time a school band plays Stairway to Heaven, or something like that.
But I was an adult before I realized Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, The Alphabet Song, and most of Baa Baa Black Sheep are the same tune.
It’s incredibly easy for me to do that (imagine something played in different ways, e.g. the ABC song in tuba or ragtime). Maybe I’m just a freak, but I thought everybody could.
Not in ragtime.
I think it depends on what styles of music and what instruments you are familiar with. Anyone who has been a musician and/or listened to many different types of music probably does not even think about this because they do it automatically (I never thought about it until you mentioned it and yes, I can imagine a piece being played on a particular instrument or in a particular style as long as I am familiar with thh instrument and style – I admit to having a little trouble imagining the ABC song in bluegrass style but I could imagine a ragtime version, probably because I used to be able to play ragtime but not so good at bluegrass) The ability would probably be strongest among those who compose their own music.