Musical chords produce blended or distinct color experiences that differ from individual note colors.
Inducer
chord
Concurrent
color
Category
Auditory Visual
Musical chords produce blended or distinct color experiences that differ from individual note colors. A C major triad might appear warm golden yellow, while C minor shifts to deep blue-green. Messiaen extensively documented his chord-color associations and used them in composition.
Ward, J. et al. (2024). Synaesthesia is linked to differences in music preference. Psychology of Music, 53(3).
View publication →Brang, D. et al. (2015). Sensory signal integration in music-color synesthesia. Neuropsychologia.
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