Synesthesia and Music

[jiyuuboyetsvi]

Good morning (evening) RGT fam!

I wanted to use this thread to info dump about Synesthesia! A topic very near and dear to my heart, since I am a Synesthete! :D Synesthesia is very common amongst artists, and I wanted to give y'all a crash course! Also I wanted to see if there might potentially be any other silly Synesthetes here on this forum :3

What is Synesthesia?
The basic definition is (from google):
the production of a sense impression relating to one sense or part of the body by stimulation of another sense or part of the body.
AKA, when one of your five senses are stimulated, another separate one gets stimulated at the same time, involuntarily.

There's lots of different types. The major ones that are written about are Colour-Graphyme (Letters/Numbers having Colours) and Chromesthesia (seeing colours when listening to music or sound).

(Example of the colours the tones on my Casio piano make) ((yes im aware they kinda look like dicks XD)):

When talking about Synesthesia, specifically the Chromesthesia and Colour-Graphyme types, there are two sub categories. These categories are: Projection and Associative
Using Chromesthesia as an example:
Projection, is categorized by being able to physically perceive, for example colours, in the air in front of you as if they actually exist whenever you hear sounds or music;
Associative, using the same example, is when you think/see or feel that a sound is a certain colour within your minds eye.

People with associative forms of Synesthesia are much more common than people who have projective types. In fact, it is estimated that 90% of Synesthetes have associative forms over the 10% of Synethetes with projective types.

Synesthesia isn't limited to only sound and colours though! Here is a website with a list of all the different types currently known about if you are interested in learning more for yourself! :D Another thing to note is that when someone experiences Synesthesia, they usually experience more than one type in tandem with their primary one.
https://www.thesynesthesiatree.com/

Synesthesia is predominant in the world of the arts. A lot of great musicians tend to have some form of Synesthesia. Some notable persons are below:
Beyonce - Chromesthesia
Charli XCX - Chromesthesia
Marilyn Monroe - Taste to Colour
Mary J. Blige - Chromesthesia
Billie Eilish - Chromesthesia + more
Billy Joel - Chromesthesia + more
Kanye West - Chromesthesia + more
Frank Ocean - Chromesthesia

I have Synesthesia myself (as stated before hehe)! Alllll of my Synesthetic "abilities" derive from sound. The major ones for me are:
Chromesthesia (sound-colour; seeing colours when i hear sounds)
Colour-Tone (colour-sound; seeing colours makes sounds in my head)
Auditory-Tactile (sound-physical sensation)
Auditory-Motor (sound-involuntary movements)
Mirror Speech (this ties in with the previous two. whenever i see/hear someone speak or sing, my body involuntarily moves as if i'm the one making the noise)
Personification of Musical Tones (each note has its own feeling/emotion/personality)

Its quite complex, and there's a lot more different types that I have but its a lot to get into. All of the visual types that I have are projective as well. Synesthesia is also known to be at least 30% more common amongst individuals with Autism (which probably explains why I have so many different forms LMAO)

So, when I listen to music for example; I can physically see the sound waves coming from whatever is making the music; be it a speaker, amp, guitar, voice. Each pitch has its own colour and the colour of the pitches are influenced by the timbre of the instrument or the vocalists voice. Also, the texture and shape of the physical sound waves that I see vary depending on the intonation of how a sound is played.

For example (again): If someone is playing a violin softly, the wave will be a lot calmer. However, if that same violin then plays the same note but more violently, the wave will become more jagged and harsh. the brightness of a tone correlates to how loud it is. the saturation of the colour of a tone correlates to how high or low in pitch the tone is.

This doesn't just happen for music by the way, its literally every single sound that I hear. It doesn't ever get in the way unless something REALLY loud and abrupt happens (think someone dropping a metal baking sheet, or someone throwing weight onto a barbell). When that happens, my vision usually flashes a hot blinding white for the split second that the sound is around for.

It really helps me with my music. without it I'd be lost. When I sing or play piano or guitar, I rely heavily on my Synesthesia to show me where to go. I'll follow the instrumentation or melody that I have stuck in my head and bring it to life by playing it out like its a scene in a movie and making sure all of the colours, shapes, and feelings meld together into a beautiful picture.


TL;DR: I see colours (and more) when I listen to music and theyre really pretty nodders. Do any of you guys experience Synesthesia? If so, which kinds? If any of yall have a very musical inclination like I do and have Synesthesia, how has it helped you with making your music?

Thanks for reading my long ass post! :D

 

[RageBurner]

A very interesting topic! I don't think it happens to me m though.

 

[jiyuuboyetsvi]

A very interesting topic! I don't think it happens to me m though.

Isn't it? :D
Idk how else I'd be able to traverse the world tbh. Honestly I feel like I see with my ears better than I do with my eyes LOOOOL

Another thing I forgot to mention in the main post is that Synesthesia is quite uncommon amongst the general population. I did mention that people with Synesthesia do tend to skew higher towards more artistic (and autistic) people, but I forgot to mention the first bit haha xD

 

[OPT1MUS]

I've been making music for maaany years: although I don't see colours, I imagine situations - stories - or entire worlds that, associated to the emotions I feel in that moment, give me the "input" to create my music.
So, in a sense, I know what you mean... and I like it
My respect!

 

[jiyuuboyetsvi]

I've been making music for maaany years: although I don't see colours, I imagine situations - stories - or entire worlds that, associated to the emotions I feel in that moment, give me the "input" to create my music.
So, in a sense, I know what you mean... and I like it
My respect!

This happens to me too! Specifically when I'm listening to or making music, I come up with very elaborate situations and scenes, like you mentioned.
Sometimes they're memories that I've had that I draw from for my art to influence the tone and colour of the emotion I'm trying to get across. Having an eidetic memory I helps with that (im pretty sure lol)

 

[OPT1MUS]

Exactly.
Same thing when I used to draw (comics, paintings, computer graphics and stuff like that)

Maybe I too am a synesthete and never knew it...

 

[ZombieFish]

I’ve played REZ, but never had the stereotypical sound=color experience people usually boil synesthesia down to, even under the influence of hallucinogens. I’d never considered auditory-motor responses and mirroring to be related until reading this, but it makes a ton of sense. I dunno if that’s me, cause I can stop myself from doing it, but I learned to cut off large portions of myself as a kid, for the reasons you’d expect. When I’m alone and relaxed I wiggle and lip-synch/sing unconsciously, so maybe I’m masking? I dunno, but I get what you meant about theory now, and I’m off to study some more. :p Thanks for this.

 

[jiyuuboyetsvi]

Exactly.
Same thing when I used to draw (comics, paintings, computer graphics and stuff like that)

Maybe I too am a synesthete and never knew it...

you might be! as i mentioned in my post, the majority of us tend to be associative type as opposed to projection types.

i also had the priviledge of learning about the concept when i was very young from a book my Mom used to read me as a bed time story called A Mango-Shaped Space. that books is my all time favourite book of all time.

I’ve played REZ, but never had the stereotypical sound=color experience people usually boil synesthesia down to, even under the influence of hallucinogens. I’d never considered auditory-motor responses and mirroring to be related until reading this, but it makes a ton of sense. I dunno if that’s me, cause I can stop myself from doing it, but I learned to cut off large portions of myself as a kid, for the reasons you’d expect. When I’m alone and relaxed I wiggle and lip-synch/sing unconsciously, so maybe I’m masking? I dunno, but I get what you meant about theory now, and I’m off to study some more. :p Thanks for this.

yes!~!!!!! please do more research. im positive you have the auditory-motor and mirror responses like i do too. being able to "turn them off" at will is a thing i can also do, but its much to my own discomfort and pain. it honestly feels horrible "holding myself back" and pretending to be normal (the masking).

i implore you to read up more on that website that i posted in the main body <3

 

[OPT1MUS]

But don't forget that "control" is always the key...

 

[ZombieFish]

Wait, I can study here too! :D Do colors recycle when you traverse an octave or is every note unique? Do two simultaneous tones smear, or do colors share space, or are they their own unrelated color? Have you experimented with semitones?

Post automatically merged: May 9, 2025

Also, are there colors you consider harmonic?

 

[Antilocal123]

Uhhhhhhh yeah man I totally get it

 

[jiyuuboyetsvi]

Wait, I can study here too! :D

yeah! first i want to preface by saying that each Synesthete has their own way of perceiving things. No two person's way of perceiving the world is different, though some things might overlap.

Do colors recycle when you traverse an octave or is every note unique?

they kinda sorta "recycle" as i go up and down the octaves. For example. a very Low C1 would be a very DARK burgundy red, where as a very HIGH C7 would be almost a blindingly bright blood red.

the colours also differ depending on the instrument. for example, drums are all mostly warm colours. a snare drum is usually a deep yummy orange, while a bass/kick drum is a blend of deep dark red and lushious purple. almost like a velvet texture. Crash symbols and hi-hats are usually more of a brighter yellow colour.

Do two simultaneous tones smear, or do colors share space, or are they their own unrelated color? Have you experimented with semitones?

i havent experimented with semitones on purpose, but, i do play around a lot with dissonance between frequencies. when i play on my keyboard for example, i can hear all and see all of the frequencies that the specific tones that im playing are making.

its easier to hear and see when i play chords loudly. when i look at the piano, it's almost as if the keys themselves light up in the order that i want to play. overtones, undertones, and residual frequencies are also things that i really like to look at. for example, if i play an Esus2 (E, F#, B) i can see the colours in the air and my favourite parts is watching the frequencies die down and pulsate through the air.

it's especially prominent with pianos where there is this residual frequency in all of the tones you can produce on it that is almost like... in the very background of the note? its VERY high pitched and almost sounds like a pulsating whine. the rate of the pulsation depends on how high or low in pitch the tone is.

so if it's a high pitched sound, the rate of pulsation is higher, and with a low pitch sound it is much slower.

Also, are there colors you consider harmonic?

C, D# and G are all very suspicious and domineering. E, F#, and B all have this cutesy aura going on, though Bb has a lighter air about it than B natural. G# is extremely mournful and sorrowful, but in a sorta like meloncholic way. C# has that same sort of quality, but with the domineering edge of C natural.

i use these feelings that i hear from the piano to formulate songs based on emotions primarily. i also just realized you said colours and not tones LOL. for colours, i really love how yellow and purple mix and match, along with cyan blue and seafoam green with a twinge of pastel yellow.

i read my voice as very purple with a twinge of red in it, which is why ive customized my posting text on the forum to be that colour. what's kinda funny tho is that when i hear my voice back (specifically in recordings) it sounds a lot more yellow and blue than red and orange and purple. it really depends on how i speak or sing

Post automatically merged: May 9, 2025

Uhhhhhhh yeah man I totally get it

you neeEED TO VIbRATE HIGHeR!!!

 

[ZombieFish]

Ooooooooooh, the fact that they even kinda cycle is so fucking cool and suggestive of a non-arbitrary correlation. So when colors co-occupy a space, are they localized/fixed? Are there any associated shapes?(hopefully not those dick shapes) Oh, and yeah, I know one synesthete’s experience is not another’s, I just wanna know yours.

 

[jiyuuboyetsvi]

So when colors co-occupy a space, are they localized/fixed? Are there any associated shapes?

the space that my colours occupy when i listen to music is usually centered within my main line of vision.
it also depends on where the music source is, i can pinpoint exact locations of where a sound is coming from from blocks away if the wind carries the sound properly.

shapes depend on the type of sound that i hear. deep thumping sounds like kick or tom of a drum are circular and have varying depth to them depending on the dynamics of the hit.
fuzzy or scratchy sounds make jaggedy lines or circles (depending on how the sound is... shaped....)

so like, if a drummer uses a brush on their kit, i can hear the individual hairs/strings of the brush scratching along the surface of the tom or snare because the shapes that it makes in my field of view show me what the brush looks like and how dense the bristles are.

the same thing happens for mostly all instruments. i can see how people play them in my mind and its easy to emulate. this ties into my auditory-motor Synesthesia as well, meaning that my fingers, arms, legs, mouth, and/or throat will all involuntarily move along to the instrument that im currently focusing on as if im the one playing it myself. i've tested it, and when i let go and let my fingers do their things, the music that's in my head comes out perfectly.

my voice occupies that same main line of vision that i mentioned before, though its a LOT more noticeable. i can manipulate the colour, shape, and intonation of my voice in order to make sounds that i think are really cool. here's an example i posted in another thread of me doing a murderous scream for an atmospheric bit

the intensity of my colours and the shapes also depend on how awake and relaxed i am. if im feel VERY anxious or upset, i tend to not be able to perceive my Synesthesia that well.
also you can tell if im in a bad mood or really depressed and upset, because i wont be listening to any music or making ANY sounds.

i also constantly have a symphony (more like cacophony) of sounds and music going through my head at all times. i tend to get very frustrated though if im in a situtation where i cant vocalize or stim in some form or another TwT

 

[kingofdragons]

This is a thing? I thought it was a superpower.

 

[jiyuuboyetsvi]

This is a thing? I thought it was a superpower.

It might as well be XD
But rlly I just like the pretty music, Mhmhm
I get distracted by music and sounds very easily lolol

 

[OPT1MUS]

@jiyuuboyetsvi - The sound you posted... weird, but interesting: it seems the cry of a whale. Nice!

 

[sadasa]

AKA, when one of your five senses are stimulated, another separate one gets stimulated at the same time, involuntarily.

Dictionary.com | Meanings & Definitions of English Words

The world's leading online dictionary: English definitions, synonyms, word origins, example sentences, word games, and more. A trusted authority for 25+ years!

www.dictionary.com

 

[jiyuuboyetsvi]

Dictionary.com | Meanings & Definitions of English Words

The world's leading online dictionary: English definitions, synonyms, word origins, example sentences, word games, and more. A trusted authority for 25+ years!

www.dictionary.com

I don't understand

Post automatically merged: May 10, 2025

@jiyuuboyetsvi - The sound you posted... weird, but interesting: it seems the cry of a whale. Nice!

Heheheh thank u, u can name all sorts of weird noises

 

[OPT1MUS]

You know, when I was a PS3 Theme Maker, I remember there was a guy who said to see colours dancing and was able to create some fantastic psychedelic themes that literally exploded with colors...

 

[jiyuuboyetsvi]

You know, when I was a PS3 Theme Maker, I remember there was a guy who said to see colours dancing and was able to create some fantastic psychedelic themes that literally exploded with colors...

ive heard of a few audio visualizers that synesthetes LOVED
there was one on DOS that apparently isnt useable anymore called Cthugha which people would use to make visualizations in real time that looked cool

there was also MilkDrop on Winamp and now Project M which is a fork of Milkdrop. I use that on Foobar2000

 

[OPT1MUS]

Cool...
Well, there are several DOS emulators - like DOSbox, for example - you could find one in order to try that Cthugha too

 

[ZombieFish]

What did that scream look like? Very spooky. Not gonna lie, I envy the ability to navigate an instrument that quickly. I gotta build a relationship first to play worth a damn, even if it makes sense intuitively. Thanks for letting me pick your brain, this is really interesting. I get the frustration of having to be quiet. If I can’t get some time in my car to sing or scream or whatever on a regular basis I get pretty miserable. I’ve taken to sort of whispering whatever I need to get out in my bedroom when there’s others in the house, which feels creepy to do, and is creepy to overhear, I’m sure, but fuck it.

How intrusive are your visuals into regular vision? Like, does it obscure everything, is there an opacity slider?

 

[jiyuuboyetsvi]

What did that scream look like?

like a tortured banshee off in the distance trying to steal my soul XD

I get the frustration of having to be quiet. If I can’t get some time in my car to sing or scream or whatever on a regular basis I get pretty miserable. I’ve taken to sort of whispering whatever I need to get out in my bedroom when there’s others in the house, which feels creepy to do, and is creepy to overhear, I’m sure, but fuck it.

i've started to get over this and don't even whisper shit anymore cuz its too painful LOL. i'd rather be happy and feel good than in pain emotionally and physically (in terms of straining my voice from "keeping up appearances")

How intrusive are your visuals into regular vision? Like, does it obscure everything, is there an opacity slider?

it really depends on how into the music i am at the time. i was actually talking to my mom about this earlier. it's one of the reasons why i've been selectively mute for the past like 15 years i guess.
i always see colours/lights and shapes in my vision, though its mostly concentrated within my main line of sight (think like a line that goes across your vision between both of your ears). my colours and shapes n lights n stuff do go above and below that main line, but the sounds that I make are all in that main line and are VERY prominent.
I can "tune down" the colours (opacity i guess as you say), but at that point im not even paying attention to anything because im too busy being uncomfortable trying to keep my colours "at bay".

but yeah, they get pretty distracting LOL. things that catch my ears (and eyes) always INSTANTLY distract me, and when im feeling my music, im IN the music, like i am the music xD (cause i am hehe x3)

Post automatically merged: May 11, 2025

Cool...
Well, there are several DOS emulators - like DOSbox, for example - you could find one in order to try that Cthugha too

I found another one that's REALLY cool called MilkDrop 3. You should check it out!