[tkdsol]

This has happened to me a handful of times recently. I'd be half way between sleeping and awake and replay songs I've heard down to the exact detail. The guitar, drums, bass, and vocals. I've never had this happen to me up till the past 3 months. I'm just really interested in what this is?

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[guilloche]

Yeah, very cool isn't it? I take piano lessons, and my brain will play stuff for me in that state [edit: the half asleep state, not in piano class!] too... or sometimes make up stuff (!). And... it's often in the style that I've been listening to (so if I'm listening to alot of cool jazz stuff, that's what I'll hear.)

I have NO clue why it happens. I have a little bit of a guess through. You know how the brain is divided in half - the left brain is analytical and wordy, and the right brain is more creative and sensory based?

I think that what you're hearing is coming from your right brain. Because it's such a detailed and accurate sound... as if it were actual, real music (at least for me). Also, I've noticed if I try to think about it too hard (when it's new music for me, I start trying to analyze it better so I can write it down) - it immediately fades and disappears. This frustrates me so much... !

It's very cool though, and I've learned to just sort of enjoy while trying to not think too much, so as not to scare it away!

I'd be curious if you find any other info about it, because I haven't heard anyone really talk about it before... thanks!

[Perna]

I'm more a writer than a musician so get writing ideas and "stories" when I sleep. My music dreams are usually me getting instruments mixed up (thinking an instrument is one thing and calling it that and waking and knowing it was another :-) though I did have a couple nights when I woke with a specific song in my head that would not go away but, alas, it was a known piece of music not something new.

Very interesting study on music in dreams: http://web.mit.edu/dmalt/Public/9.10/02sdarticle.pdf

[tkdsol]

Thank you guilloche and Perna for replying! I've asked my friends if they have ever had this happen to them and none of them have. After it happened the first time to me the first thing came to mind, correct me if I'm wrong, is how Mozart had the ability to create amazing music in his head to every last detail of all the instruments because he had the ability to utilize more of his right side of his brain while he was awake. Like he would just listen to music in his head when there was no music playing. I really wanted to know if there was anyone else that had this happen to them so I came to this site and wasn't disappointed! Thanks for your input!

I have the same thing happen, but i dont know what it might be called.

[growlithing]

I'm a musician. I have this a lot because music is always stuck in my head. That's just what I think it is. Listening to the music that's stuck in your head but the thing about being half asleep is that things that might not make sense make perfect sense. So you may not actually be hearing the music down to the last detail but it feels like that and it feels more real. For example, my quintet is playing this piece that I have stuck in my head all of the time. When I was falling asleep, I heard the music and I thought to myself that the piece sounded exactly like mowing the lawn. And I was was really into that interpretation of the piece while I was falling asleep. I was planning on telling my group that and playing it while thinking of lawn mowers. And then I woke up and I was like .... what? It was an absolutely horrible interpretation but my half asleep self thought it was absolutely gorgeous and groundbreaking.

[guilloche]

I wish I knew a better way to pay attention to it... without invoking the left brain and scaring it away. Have you seen the book, "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain" - neat book, talks about how to draw accurately, you need to get in "right brain mode" and give your left brain another task, to distract it.

Pesky logical left brain

I notice that often right after waking up, in the half-asleep, half-awake state, a song usually starts playing in my head. It also plays in my head most of the morning after. This happens nearly every time I have a deep dream, now that I think about it . This happens so much I don't think twice about it, or I'm already tired anyway that I don't think much on it. For me, the song that plays really sets the mood of the dream. Like my mind wanted to come up with a song to leave the feeling of my dream with, like in movie credits. It's so strange, but it does make me feel better. This morning was, "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me," lol. I hadn't heard that song in forever until it popped into my head this morning.

[CANDC]

Originally Posted by tkdsol

Thank you guilloche and Perna for replying! I've asked my friends if they have ever had this happen to them and none of them have. After it happened the first time to me the first thing came to mind, correct me if I'm wrong, is how Mozart had the ability to create amazing music in his head to every last detail of all the instruments because he had the ability to utilize more of his right side of his brain while he was awake. Like he would just listen to music in his head when there was no music playing. I really wanted to know if there was anyone else that had this happen to them so I came to this site and wasn't disappointed! Thanks for your input!

I have been playing music in my sleep and wake up and try to remember it. Poetry comes that way sometime. I even sometimes sing in the dream and when I wake up try to remember the song. There is the source of all creativity some say. It is our connection with Eternity.

[tkdsol]

Ya Ill lay there and think to myself while I'm in limbo sleep mode, wow I can't believe I can even do this, listen to what seems to be completely composed music when it's dead silent. And try and recall what song it was. And I agree.

[RTerroni]

I've had that before as well

[CANDC]

It might even be lucid dreaming because in the dream I am aware I am singing and I am thinking in part of my awareness I need to remember this in the morning.
Recalling isn't easy. Some time if I write the words down I will remember the melody.