rocknrollslc wrote:
who else can hear/compose songs in their head? i'm super curious how common this is...
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Have a very, very limited ability to hear any song at all in my head. At the same time, over the years, have learned to play the piano to the point of being able to use a simplified Fake Book and reproduce parts of the songs listed.
At the same time, I do recognize songs which I have heard before - especially songs with no human voices. When a human voice is part of the song, it depends on the speed the musician uses. If the musician sings rapidly, I often can catch most of it; if the singer extends parts of words (opera) and so on, I tend to miss most of it.
Today, for me, part (not all) of the explanation is central auditory processing disorder (CAPD)/a glitch in aspects of working memory/short term memory/related areas.
I am able to compose, on paper, very short, simple songs of thirty seconds (or less) but it's closer to a very simple melody (right hand - piano) with zero chords (left hand - piano).
My natural attention span is so short that I could not learn Morse Code (ADHD Inattentive including central auditory processing disorder) dots and dashes.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_and_the_brain
I have met a musician who had the ability to sit down in a living room and write music for about a ten piece band as easily as one would write a letter to a friend. I've met a (non-)musician who purchased an electronic keyboard for about $200 and in less than one week, wrote a one minute song. The (non-)musician did have piano lessons as a child.
I tend to feel that great ease with music is a gift given to only about 1/10,000 persons (entering the area of perfect musical pitch).
There are cases where both parents have almost zero musical ability yet one of their children has a great gift for music.