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SYNESTHESIA

MUSICAL SYNESTHESIA

TIME FOR...


 Medios de comunicación social. Geralt. Pixabay. CC0

What are synesthetes?

People who have synesthesia. Those people who associate sounds, musical notes, instrumental timbres with sensations coming from different senses such as sight, hearing... This way when they hear a sound they associate it with a concrete colour because it evoques them a sensation.

For example, colour green can be associated with FA because it evoques nature. In music this means calm, delicate melodies, slow rhythm, etc. In art this means landscapes related to forests, flowers, etc. Other people associate music instruments and music styles with concrete colours, as Melissa McCracken does. 

This American artist, born in Kansas in 1990, paints while listening to different music styles like funk, glam, rock... You can see her collection on her webpage melissamccracken.com (accessed on 24/06/2022). 

Do you remember this man?

1. 

Appart from musician, composer and painter, he invented DODECAPHONISM.

What do you think it is?

It is a series of twelve sounds from the cromatic scale. With this technique he abandones the tonal system, creating a new term ATONALITY.

Here, you can see an example of this theory. Listen again to this Schönberg concert and observe Kandinsky's painting inspired by this song. 

Di Wu plays Schoenberg Drei Klavierstücke, Op. 11. Di Wu. Youtube (Accessed on 24/06/2022).

Look at the painting carefully. What emotions does it suggest to you? Can you recognise the Dodecaphonic Scale in it? 

File:Wassily Kandinsky - Impression III (Concert) - Google Art Project.jpg

Wassily Kandinsky - Impression III (Concert)- Google Art Project. DcoetzeeBot. Wikimedia. CC0

SCRIABIN, A WONDERFUL MIND

Question

TIME FOR...

Tablero aprender formación. Geralt. Pixabay. CC0

Scriabin.Romanm.Wikimedia.CC0

This russian composer and pianist experimented with music and colours and created the synesthesia correspondance of colour-tonality-emotions. 

Choose the correct musical note for each colour.

Yellow

Answers

C=DO

G=SOL

D=RE

Feedback

Question

Green

Answers

F#=FA#

E=MI

A=LA

Feedback

Question

Grey

Answers

Eb=MIb

C=DO

Bb=SIb

Feedback

SCRIABIN COLOURS

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Tablero tiza la cabeza. Athree23. Pixabay. CC0

Looking at the Scriabin's colour correspondance, order the colours following the next score.

  • sky blue
  • red
  • orange
  • green
  • yellow

CHECK

Right!

Sorry... Try again!

YOUR COLOURS SONG

TIME FOR...

Teamwork team. Geralt. Pixabay. CC0

Look at this score and the chosen colours for each musical note. What emotions do they suggest to you?

Now it's your go! Open the MuseScore application  and create a short composition with four time signatures of any kind.

Then print a screenshot and open it on the PAINT application and choose a colour you prefer for each musical note. Save it in your group's folder.

Finally, explain in front of your class why you chose those colours and the emotions they make you feel.