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Music Related Disorders


Souliarc
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After learning about Obsessive Compulsive Disorder's in class and the associated "counting" disorder, I realized, "hey... I think I have that."

What I do is when I'm driving and there are street lights evenly spaced (especially on highways), as my car crosses one, I start counting "One, Two, Three, Four..." and so on until the next light and I start over. It's quite annoying, and even more so because I realize that I do it, but can't stop.

Now the reason this is music related is because, even though correlation doesn't imply causation, I see that counting as very closely related to measures and beats. When my car reaches the light, that's beat one. Anyone who works in a modern DAW might see this as when the play cursor scrolls across the measures.

I am curious if anyone else has experienced this type or any other type of conditioned generalization from being a musician/composer.

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Ever since I was much younger, I always remember doing this. Basically whenever I walk on a sidewalk with relatively even shaped squares, I feel compelled to step twice in each one. In a way I suppose this could be similar to what you experience with the lights, in that the line separating the concrete squares of the sidewalk are the bar lines and my individual steps are the beats. Sometimes there is the odd square that is larger for some reason, and when I notice this I will step 3 (or 4 if needed) times in it, then continue in the 2 pattern for the next normal sized squares. Now that I'm thinking about it, it does seem pretty rhythmic or music-related in some way, but I don't know if it would count as some sort of OCD or not, I'm pretty unfamiliar with that kind of stuff.

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Ever since I was much younger, I always remember doing this. Basically whenever I walk on a sidewalk with relatively even shaped squares, I feel compelled to step twice in each one. In a way I suppose this could be similar to what you experience with the lights, in that the line separating the concrete squares of the sidewalk are the bar lines and my individual steps are the beats. Sometimes there is the odd square that is larger for some reason, and when I notice this I will step 3 (or 4 if needed) times in it, then continue in the 2 pattern for the next normal sized squares. Now that I'm thinking about it, it does seem pretty rhythmic or music-related in some way, but I don't know if it would count as some sort of OCD or not, I'm pretty unfamiliar with that kind of stuff.

I still do this.

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I'm sure many of us compulsively tap our hands, fingers or feet to whatever music is playing in the background without even thinking about it. I know I catch myself doing that on a daily basis. People who don't know me well think I'm nervous, when I'm actually not even aware I'm doing it.

I'm still waiting for the one magical song to sync up with my windshield wipers in the car. It never happens though...

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I'm sure many of us compulsively tap our hands, fingers or feet to whatever music is playing in the background without even thinking about it. I know I catch myself doing that on a daily basis. People who don't know me well think I'm nervous, when I'm actually not even aware I'm doing it.

I'm still waiting for the one magical song to sync up with my windshield wipers in the car. It never happens though...

Actually, I do this even when there's no music. Like, I get random beats and melodies in my head and just start tapping my fingers or feet, I even throw in some air guitar chords/riffs. And it happens a lot, yesterday I wrote an exam at college and after a while I realized that I was tapping my fingers the whole time and that it might bother other students.

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Actually, I do this even when there's no music. Like, I get random beats and melodies in my head and just start tapping my fingers or feet, I even throw in some air guitar chords/riffs. And it happens a lot, yesterday I wrote an exam at college and after a while I realized that I was tapping my fingers the whole time and that it might bother other students.

Guilty. Also, I'm a figdeter (meaning, I am often moving my hand(s) or one of my feet in constant, small movements) which combined with the above means I'm pretty much never not moving.

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Also, talk to anyone with synesthesia. Blended senses make for a really interesting musical experience.

it's decidedly not interesting if you don't get it and hear someone else blabbering on about that incredibly green sound.

:(

also, OCD means you won't find relief till you do it. it's full on obsessive.

everyone plays little mind games with patterns, numbers and shapes.

i count when i take a piss. if i reach 10 just when the stream runs dry, i win. or something. i've been doing it forever.

funnily enough, i have an actual ocd/neurotic thing going on with sequencers.

i need to tidy them up. remove the clutter from vst lists, find just one plugin for each job that does it perfectly, that kinda stuff.

i used to think of it as a necessity to clean up my workflow. by now i have to admit that it doesn't really serve a purpose and that i got along fine with a myriad of plugins before. it only got a problem once i decided it was one, and now im constantly between downloading a thousand weird noisemakers (because i enjoy that tbh) and removing them until i'm back at a bare necessities template.

mind you, this is a process that goes on over months each time, so it's not that bad, but it's definitely neurotic because the clutter really starts to bother me at some point.

'this sample folder is a mess. i'll have to structure it before making any music'

no shit, it's fucking stupid.

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i don't see it as a disorder, just a less boring way to live.

:)!!

I'm still waiting for the one magical song to sync up with my windshield wipers in the car. It never happens though...

what year, make and model do you have?

and newer makes are
.

also, we use pressure washers and chemical foamers to clean the factory i work in, and i often start hearing some Zircon-esque 7/8 grooves. :mrgreen:

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i don't see it as a disorder, just a less boring way to live.

:)!!

Ha, I like you're style.

And that book looks really interesting Abadoss. I might have to give it a gander.

Thanks for all of your input everyone. Feels good to relate. One thing that really took me to noticing this is I started listening to an audiobook in the car. Within a thirty minute drive, I probably distracted myself with this counting around 20-30 times and would have to rewind.

It is a judgment call on the severity of it really. If it interferes with your life, that might be something to worry about. Or if they are thoughts you don't want to have and you are senselessly compelled to do them. I personally can't stand not having the control. If the compulsion spreads to other areas (generalization) like some of you have mentioned: walking inbetween sidewalk lines (I do that as well).

Also, whenever I picked on my little brother, I had to hit him three times. I guess that's my fondness for compound meter coming out in me.

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I do the sidewalk thing. I also used to lift my feet from the floor of the car over the spaces of dotted road lines as we drove by them. Now, I count notes when I sing sometimes, or count measures automatically when listening to music. I wouldn't call it a disorder... just a weird thing that happened from being a musician!

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I notice when random sounds harmonize. Like the "door ajar bell" on my car was a minor third to a song on the radio. Or one time, I was playing guitar and the train went by. The guy who drives that thing just stands on the fucking horn when he goes by so the horn sound was going on forever. It was at that time I played a chord (D I think) and the train horn harmonized nicely with it.

When I hear songs I know how to play on guitar, I air guitar them exactly as they are played without even thinking about it.

what's the name of that one brain disorder that makes people like metal

Good taste.

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