Earlier today I posted a blog “Affectations and emotional characteristics of certain keys in music”. Very soon after that I had a response from a visual artist friend – so – I am preparing another post for today that links colors with music.
First a bit of material from a website that is no longer working, but I want to credit the source anyway.
From http://www.composersdatebook.org/archives/090400.shtml
(this link no longer works 05/28/09)
Two Russian composers were fascinated with the idea of linking certain musical
keys to particular colors – but came up with completely different associations.
According to Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, the key of C Major was “white,”
while Alexander Scriabin said it was “red.” The two composers did
agree, however, that the key of D major was “yellow” and that Eb
Major was either “bluish-grey” or “steely.”
Here’s a list of other key signatures, with Rimsky-Korsakov’s color choice
given first, then Scriabin’s color association:
G Major (Brownish-gold/Orange-rose)
A Major (Rosy/Green)
E Major (SapphireBlue/Bluish-white)
B Major (Dark Blue/Bluish-white)
F# Major (Grayish-green/Bright blue)
Db Major (Dusky/Violet)
Ab Major (Grayish-violet/Purple-violet)
E Major (Green/Red)
Following is a link to a site that offers a wealth of information about colors and music by Charles E. H. Lucy: http://www.harmonics.com/lucy/lsd/colors.html. I commend it to you for further study – and – I hope John will join our community of discussion. I also encourage everyone to participate – the more the merrier!!
The next post will begin a series that focuses on the work of Hermann Ludwig Ferdinand Helmholtz (1821-1894). His book On the Sensations of Tone is largely responsible for most of my interest in this complex area of study. I just received a new copy of the work and I am anxious to renew my friendship with this old friend. Following is from the back cover notes of the book:
“On the Sensations of Tone is one of the world’s greatest scientifc classics. It bridges the gap between the natural sciences and music theory and, nearly a century after its first publication, it is still a standard text for the study of physiological acoustics – the scientific basis of musical theory. It is also a treasury of knowledge for musicans and students of music and a major work in the realm of aesthetics, making important contributions to physics, anatomy, and physiology in its establishiment of the physical theory of music.”
The book is currently available from Dover Publications, Inc., New York.
Until next time . . .
tmitchellmusic 
I’ve just read through and caught up on all your music postings. In regards to color…I have several friends who see color when they see a key signature. I find it interesting and am just a tad jealous! How fun would that be? Also, I’ve spent the past year looking at music and healing with it at a cellular level. It’s not “music therapy” in the current world, but rather based on ancient healing techniques. I think you would find it an interesting study…or you may already know about it. I look forward to reading about music and the brain.
Blessings,
Julie
Julie
So very very good to hear from you. Praying that all is well with you and yours. Welcome to the Human Beings Anonymous community discussion about music. Now that I am retired I am probably moving back in the direction of music – doing some composing – maybe doing a part-time church gig – doing a bit of teaching.
Sadly – as valuable as equal tempered tuning is – it also removes some of the marvelous mysteries and complexities of sound from our daily lives. I would very much appreciate knowing more about the use of music for healing “at a cellular level” – please contribute to the discussion if you are comfortable doing so. One thing I will be discussing is the use of “musical journey” in substance abuse recovery work. Developed by a person at the University of Texas a number of years ago – the substance abuse professionals generally agree that one music journey – about 2 hours – equals about 3 days of talk therapy. I will have much more to say about that in the near future. And – thanks to your reminder – I realize that we should also have some discussion of traditional “music therapy”.
Grace and peace
Tom M
Tom,
So, I probably need to start my reply by saying I stepped into the world of alternative medicine several years ago and have been studying it and the body since. I’ve thrown in a bit of quantum physics…just for fun. It appears that one of my spiritual gifts is healing. (I’m a little more comfortable saying that now than I was when I first started.) I am a certified B.E.S.T. (Bio-Energetic Synchronization Technique) Practitioner and have been working in a Chiropractic office for 3 years. I’m also still working in Church Music…it’s an interesting life! In my studies I’m more aware of subtle energy in and around our bodies…that’s where music healing at a cellular level comes in. I’ve spent the past several months researching how the body physically responds to different pitches as well as different styles of music. To keep it straight in my mind, I created an excel spreadsheet and would be happy to send that to you for your perusal. Another experience I’ve sought out is singing bowls…had a wonderful time with those in New Mexico and am considering purchasing a set for my own office. It was brought to my attention last year that I should put together a music class for healing and merge both of my worlds together. That’s the reason behind music and healing at a cellular level for me. I can’t wait to read about “musical journey” in substance abuse recovery. Must run to teach a voice lesson!
–Julie