I Think I Can Smell Colors

[Cow Poke]

Key signature is at the beginning of every staff of every piece of sheet music.

It is the flats and sharps and stuff that tell you what key to sing the music in.

Yeah, that part I know, but I don't know how to read them. If, however, we normally sing a particular song in the key of C, I can start singing it in that key just cause it's in my head that way.

I know this because I asked MelMak.

My daughter is quite an accomplished pianist - she helps me with key signatures, like when I have to tell they guitar guys what key we're in. She tries to help me look smart, but it's a big task.

[mossrose]

I also have perfect pitch - always have. From the pulpit for example, sometimes I will just decide to lead a hymn, and will start it without instruments, and the pianist will step over to the piano and just start playing, and I'm right in tune. I don't know music - never studied music, but I can start songs off in the right key every single time.

OR, the pianist is good at transposing?



But you probably do have perfect pitch.

[mossrose]

Key signature is at the beginning of every staff of every piece of sheet music.

It is the flats and sharps and stuff that tell you what key to sing the music in.

I know this because I asked MelMak.

[Cow Poke]

Found it!

http://www.theologyweb.com/campus/sh...ht=synesthesia

Wow, that's weird! And I was even in that thread.....

then there's this.....

I hadn't heard of the term before, so I looked it up. After reading a bit, I figured out that I think I actually do have a form of it called chromesthesia, because I have perfect pitch and do tend to associate different key signature types with different colors -- sharps mean warm colors, flats mean cool colors. I didn't know until now that that had a name.

I also have perfect pitch - always have. From the pulpit for example, sometimes I will just decide to lead a hymn, and will start it without instruments, and the pianist will step over to the piano and just start playing, and I'm right in tune. I don't know music - never studied music, but I can start songs off in the right key every single time.

I don't associate key signatures with colors, though. I don't think. Maybe if I knew what key signatures were, I would. But I don't.

[mossrose]

Found it!

http://www.theologyweb.com/campus/sh...ht=synesthesia

[mossrose]

WE did? Or you and MelMak? I remember talking about coffee and "skunk" smell.....

It was another thread about weird stuff.



I'll have to ask him if he remembers where it is.

[Cow Poke]

Yes, you are.

MelMak has always linked certain colours to levels of pain.

And it seems we had another conversation about synesthesia before.......

WE did? Or you and MelMak? I remember talking about coffee and "skunk" smell.....

[mossrose]

Yes, you are.

MelMak has always linked certain colours to levels of pain.

And it seems we had another conversation about synesthesia before.......

[Cow Poke]

Yeah, you knew I was weird, but ever since I've been at my new Church, I have noticed faint unusual smells that just seem to hang in the air. Pleasant smells - "clean" smells - almost clinical or fresh. Nothing bad.

I've mentioned this to Mrs CP, because I would wonder if she was trying a new laundry detergent or softener. That wasn't it, so I was puzzled. There are about 4 distinct smells, one of which is kind of like 'vanilla chlorine'. One of the smells is the faint "skunk" component of fresh brewed coffee, whether I have coffee around or not.

One day, I was explaining one of the smells, and Mrs CP said "that's your blue smell". I didn't know what she was talking about, but she said, "when you wear your blue shirt, you talk about that particular smell". Over the next few months, it appeared that each of the smells was associated with a color.

I would never have figured this out, because black and blue and dark brown, for example, all look the same to me. I don't do so good seeing colors, but it seems I can smell them.

(And, no, Rogue, I apparently don't have a smell associated with yellow )

So, I've been asking about this - including my doctor - and have been finding some weird things. It's called synesthesia. I don't smell months, and I don't have words or letters associated with colors, like the lady in that article, but I can identify with some of the stuff she says.

And I've only noticed this the past 2 1/2 years or so, since I've been at my new Church. I thought I'd see if anybody else has heard about anything like this, and start this thread as a place to keep note on it.

The smells aren't strong enough or consistent enough to make a clear association, but blue is definitely vanilla chlorine. Or maybe chlorine vanilla. I keep getting whiffs of it now, because, apparently, I'm wearing my blue Tractor Supply t-shirt.

So, yeah, I'm weirder than you thought.