Synaesthesia: The Psychology of Music and Colour

Music isn’t something you just hear, you feel it too. Hearing a favourite song or piece of music can trigger happy or sad feelings and take us back to specific times in our lives. However, the experiences of people living with synesthesia are even more immersive and authentic.

Read on to find out more about synesthesia, the link between music and psychology, and how it turns music into vivid colours in the mind. You’ll also learn what colour theory in music is and how it can enhance the experience of music for your target audience.

Exploring the intersection of music and colour

Music psychology, or the psychology of music, explores how we experience music from creating it as artists to responding to it as listeners.

The link between human psychology and music is strong. Music’s effect on us is profound - it can lift our mood, sharpen our focus, and even ease our pain. Music releases dopamine, sparking intense emotional responses, even in people with cognitive impairments.

Around 4.4% of us have synesthesia. Synesthetes see music in colours and shifting shapes. Many who see colour in music describe it as an external projection, like a vivid light show.

The relationship between music and colour is different for other synesthetes. They experience the phenomenon as being in their ‘mind’s eye’ or a sense of which colours go with certain sounds.

Understanding synesthesia and music

Synesthesia is where one sense automatically triggers another one. Some synesthetes ‘taste’ flavours when they read certain words while others see shapes or colours when they hear specific names.

If you have music-colour synesthesia, also known as chromesthesia, you might see colours when you hear:

• Musical notes

• Voices

• Background noises

The experience of synesthesia varies from person to person. 

While one person might see certain colours from a violin note, for example, another might notice entirely different colours or patterns. 

The emotion, tempo, and timbre of sounds influence what a synesthete perceives. For some, it might not just be colours but shapes, textures and even moving landscapes. 

Colour theory in music

Even if you don’t have synesthesia, you might still notice some connections between music and visual qualities. 

For example, you might find that higher-pitched sounds feel lighter, while lower pitches bring to mind darker sensations. These associations likely come from your experiences, like how larger objects tend to make deeper sounds than smaller ones. 

Unlike with synesthetes, though, these connections aren’t automatic or consistent. 

The emotional impact of colourful music

Research shows that we’re more likely to respond strongly to music performed by human musicians compared to flat, mechanical compositions played by a computer. 

This may be because of the colour that humans as composers or performers add to music.

Colourful music is music that’s rich, vibrant, and varied. Musicians can add more colour by experimenting creatively with the eight main elements of musical expression, which are:

• Dynamics: Changes in volume and intensity which add depth and contrast

• Form: How a song is arranged, such as verses, choruses, and bridges

• Harmony: Different, complementary notes played at the same time or close together to create chords and progressions which add richness

• Melody: The most memorable tune or sequence of notes in a piece of music

• Rhythm: The flow and pulse of music in its beats, timing, and tempo

• Texture: How the different layers of sound interact with each other

• Timbre: The different tones of the same note from a singer and different instruments

• Tonality: The key or scale a song is played in can determine whether it feels bright, joyful, sad, or maudlin

Music that is rich in these elements evokes strong emotions in people because it engages their senses in many ways. This effect is far more pronounced and multisensory in synesthetes.

Case studies on synesthesia in musicians

Many famous musicians have synesthesia. Examples of those who use it as a unique tool in their creative process include:

• Pharrell Williams sees colours when he listens to music. He uses this visual feedback to guide his songwriting, matching melodies to the colours he perceives.

• Billie Eilish uses these visual sensations she experiences to shape the mood of her songs and their production.

• Lorde experiences colours when listening to music and uses these visual cues when writing and arranging her tracks. She describes the process as "seeing the song" before it’s fully-formed.

• Stevie Wonder states that synesthesia allows him to "see" music as colours and shapes, which feeds into his approach to melody and harmony.

Enhancing the musical experience through colour

You can use colour to enhance the musical experience in your productions and projects.

For example, agencies can use colour to match the emotional tone of the music in advertisements for their clients. 

A trailer for an upcoming upbeat, feel-good movie might use catchy, major-key dance pop songs to promote the movie. To amplify that joyful energy, use vibrant colours like turquoise, orange, and bright yellow throughout the trailer to engage the audience and create a stronger emotional connection.

Game-makers using a hard-rock soundtrack in a first-person shooter could sync the visuals with the aggressive energy in the music to heighten tension. 

As the danger to the hero mounts, use bold, dynamic lighting effects like flashing red and orange hues to trigger the player’s response and highlight the escalating stakes to make the player feel more connected to the scene.

Filmmakers could match a historical documentary soundtrack with sepia-tinted visuals or the earthy, muted colours of early 20th-century filmstock to transport the view to that period in time, deepening immersion and engagement.

The future of multisensory music experiences

The dawn of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) and its ability to seamlessly blend audio and visual inputs can take audiences into a world where music is seen, heard, and felt all around them. 

Imagine attending a concert in real time, where colours and visuals change dynamically with the music, reflecting the emotions and tones of each song, almost mirroring the experience of synesthetes. 

Singers and bands continue to use dazzling light shoes and multimedia displays to heighten the emotional impact and create unforgettable experiences. Think of U2, Coldplay, and Beyonce’s amazing performances.

Register with Universal Production Music for advice and suggestions on the right music for your project.