The Earworm Thread

[Pabmusic]

I thought this was interesting: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-17105759

[ahinton]

I thought this was interesting: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-17105759

Yes, it is indeed an interesting phenomenon and it certainly a matter of surprise (to me, at any rate) that so little research on it appears to have been carried out.

That said, once conclusions have been reached from a number of independent research projects (assuming that such projects proliferate sufficiently and that they will arrive at such conclusions), it wouldn't be hard to extrapolate from them that manipulative uses for that phenomenon will be found and put into practice, especially in the defence industry, rather as some early experiments in brain activity reading led some people to fear the possible risk of their unwelcome seizure until it became clear that any conclusive results were a long way off, as indeed they still seem to be.

[Petrushka]

I experience constant earworms often lasting all day. Right now I have the slow movement of the Mozart 29 going round and round in my head. I heard it a couple of days ago and it is that actual performance (BPO/Abbado) that is playing in my head. I can tell by the tempo and inflexions that it is that one and no other.

The way to get rid of an earworm is to play it again and it kills it stone dead - in my experience.

[gurnemanz]

I thought this was interesting: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-17105759

An annoying, nit-picking pedant writes: the plural of "Ohrwurm" is, of course, "Ohrwürme".

[gradus]

Ohrwürme, troublesome pests who often intrude when I'm trying to listen to other people, as well out shopping, driving the car, gardening etc etc

[ahinton]

Ohrwürme, troublesome pests who often intrude when I'm trying to listen to other people, as well out shopping, driving the car, gardening etc etc

Getting them while composing is arguably the worst circumstance brought about by these things.

[cloughie]

Getting them while composing is arguably the worst circumstance brought about by these things.

Do you think that is why so many composers have written variations on a theme, thinking now I'm hooked on a riff I'll capitalise. Imagine Britten thinking that b.....y Bridge tune...

[Serial_Apologist]

Getting them while composing is arguably the worst circumstance brought about by these things.

I can bet!

Sir Peter Maxwell Davies once related how he experiences different musics of his imaginings going on all the time in his head, comparable with being able to tune in to different radio stations, adding that he assumed this must be the case for most people. I can only say that the only musics ever playing in my head are other people's; I never come up with anything of my own unless I sit down at the piano and noodle around until something vaguely interesting (to me) emerges.

Playing a piece completely different in style etc from the afflicting earworm tends to make it go away, I've found - especially if the selected piece has little that is *simply* memorable about it. I.e. if, say, the first subject first movement melodies of Mozart's Symphony No 41 or Schubert 5 are "on the brain", I strongly recommend putting on Michael Finnissy's "Red Earth" as a way of exorcising them.

[Serial_Apologist]

Imagine Britten thinking that b.....y Bridge tune...

Hey watchit: "that b.....y Bridge tune" is better than any tune Britten came up with!

(Now I can't get that ...... Bridge tune out of my head! )

[3rd Viennese School]

Ive had tunes I've not heard before in my head when I wake up sometimes. And in my dreams.

If you dont write it down straight away it just fades for ever.

Ironically, they are usually melodic tunes!

Anyway, I think the tune thats in my head the most is the development of Beethoven 7 finale. Dont know why this is.

But, thats what scientists are for!

3VS

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

it wouldn't be hard to extrapolate from them that manipulative uses for that phenomenon will be found and put into practice, especially in the defence industry

this is a mistaken assumption i believe ahinton .... the phenomena is an individual one [see first paras in bbc report] with great variety amongst individuals as to trigger content and duration .... very difficult to effectively trigger a large enough group and very expensive and difficult to achieve the depth of knowledge required to manipulate an individual ...

intolerab;le noise levels and repetitions are of course another matter entirely

[ahinton]

Do you think that is why so many composers have written variations on a theme, thinking now I'm hooked on a riff I'll capitalise. Imagine Britten thinking that b.....y Bridge tune...

Possibly in some cases, but I'd be very loath to generalise on that.

[ahinton]

Playing a piece completely different in style etc from the afflicting earworm tends to make it go away, I've found - especially if the selected piece has little that is *simply* memorable about it. I.e. if, say, the first subject first movement melodies of Mozart's Symphony No 41 or Schubert 5 are "on the brain", I strongly recommend putting on Michael Finnissy's "Red Earth" as a way of exorcising them.

Whilst I have to admit that I've never tried that as a possible solution, I can think of plenty of better reasons to listen to that piece, which is one of the composer's best, I think.

[ahinton]

this is a mistaken assumption i believe ahinton .... the phenomena is an individual one [see first paras in bbc report] with great variety amongst individuals as to trigger content and duration .... very difficult to effectively trigger a large enough group and very expensive and difficult to achieve the depth of knowledge required to manipulate an individual

I'm not so sure; in the early days, undoubtedly so, but the more that's discovered about how this phenomenon actually functions in different people, the more knowledge and understanding of programming will develop as a consequence, especially since discovering how it works in general terms is almost certainly no more than an indispensible prelude to ascertaining how it does so in each individual and harnessing the resources to "read" each individual's ways of processing such information.

[Pianorak]

An annoying, nit-picking pedant writes: the plural of "Ohrwurm" is, of course, "Ohrwürme".

And from another annoying, nit-picking pedant: the plural of Ohrwurm is, of course, Ohrwürmer.

http://yourdailygerman.wordpress.com/2012/01/08/german-word-of-the-day-der-ohrwurm/