How Do You See Music?

Having gotten only four hours of sleep last night due to studying for a test this morning, constructing a proper post for today has gone by the wayside. So instead of trying to come up with something that probably wouldn't make sense anyway, here's some eye candy.

"Sonar" is a short video clip featuring some simple melodies visualized in an interesting way:


I got to thinking about how I "see" music in my head when I hear it. I tend to visualize a song as made up of layers, kind of like the atmosphere (percussion, vocals, the various instruments). I can pick out a particular layer, say the harmony in a song's hook, and solely listen to that instead of everything else. Then I'll go back to the beginning of the song, pick another layer and listen to that. It allows me to appreciate all the different parts of the music as they stand independently, and how they finally fit together into a cohesive whole. Personally, it's a very satisfying way to deconstruct a song.

Try it sometime.