Synesthesia

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Synesthesia (also spelt synæsthesia or synaesthesia) is a neurological phenomenon often described as a "mixture of the senses." In music, synesthesia is often regarded as a relationship between pitch and colour. A synesthete may consistently report the key of C major as distinctly red, or the concert pitch of F-sharp to be green. Other forms, such as shape-sound cross relationships exist. The may find the sound of the clarinet to be a line, or the sound of the horn to be a sphere, or describe certain tonalities or pitches as having distinct shapes. In general, it is supposed that higher pitches will illicit brighter colours, while lower pitches are darker.

One of the most famous music synesthetes of all time is Alexander Scriabin, who in fact is regarded to not have experienced true synesthesia. Unlike a true synesthete, Scriabin did not differentiate between major and minor keys, and his color scale system lined up with the circle of fifths.

Color scales

Color scales are systems of pitch organisation based upon colour, or more commonly systems whereby each note is methodically assigned a colour.

References

http://www.thereminvox.com/article/articleview/33/1/5/

How should we categorise this article? EnigmusJ4 18:31, 14 April 2009 (EDT)