Chiff and Fipple Forums

Maybe I'm just going nuts but sometimes when I'm playing the tune to a song that I know really well, I get the sensation that I can hear someone singing quietly along. Not in my head like usual but a physical auditory hallucination. I find this happens in particular on a loud instrument like the pipes or flute. Has anyone else experienced this?

I wonder if it is a hallucination. Especially if this happens when playing loud instruments. If it were me, I'd keep an eye on it in case it's something physical happening. For instance, sometimes I hear extraneous sounds when I'm too close to someone playing a very loud flute or whistle. For me, I don't think it's a good thing.

It sounds rather like fun... the angels are with you

Decades ago, listening to a flute and fiddle duet (Molloy & Keane) on a Chieftains record, I could clearly hear a phantom banjo. In fact it's still there...

It is rather fun actually. The latest incident of this is I am learning some hymns on the small pipes and I could swear I heard my wife in the next room singing along which is lovely but for knowing her, I know she was definitely not singing along. She has the worst memory for lyrics and doesn't sing hymns anyways. I feel like some those odd harmonics you get on the pipes really contribute to that sensation. I think the same could probably be true of your experience with that duet, the harmonies and the noise of how each instrument are played combine into something more.

Given the rarity and specificity of how it happens it doesn't particularly worry me but I might mention it to my doctor next time I'm in. It may be related to overwhelming the eardrum and be a good reason to wear earplugs. I wanted to see if other people had the same experience too.

Saw a doctor about this. Apparently, auditory hallucinations in noisy environments are very common. He said that all musicians should probably wear ear plugs but that I wasn't in any particular danger nor was it anything to be concerned about. So there you go.

Relevant? https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn ... AL-twitter

I don't know. The video is maybe tedious but part of the story.

The article about auditory illusions linked at the foot of the page may be of interest. Especially the 'phantom words' part.

precisely related I believe. Sounds pretty much like what my doctor said and its compounded by an environment in which you could conceivably have someone singing along but not be able to hear them well. He said the most common thing was to hear someone calling your name in a loud room where lots of people are talking. Makes sense when you think about it.