Comments on: How do you picture a sound?

Question: How do you picture a sound?

footnote — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 14:25:31 -0800

The word "pictured" means to imagine the way something looks. Is there a similar single word for imagining the way something sounds? How about in languages other than English?

By: rancidchickn

rancidchickn — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 14:45:37 -0800

You're probably not looking for slang, but UrbanDictionary says audiolize.

By: Tomorrowful

Tomorrowful — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 15:01:02 -0800

I'm pretty sure I've borrowed 'pictured' to apply to audio, inaccuracy be damned.

By: moonmilk

moonmilk — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 15:01:19 -0800

"Auralization" is a technical term for turning data into sound to make it more understandable. The term was invented by analogy with "visualization." It's not quite right, but I'm hoping that it will eventually broaden in meaning to become the word you want.

By: spaceman_spiff

spaceman_spiff — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 15:14:04 -0800

In vocal music we use the word "audiate".

By: Rhaomi

Rhaomi — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 15:27:42 -0800

Play?

"Bob pictured the tapestry in his mind, recalling its great beauty."

"Bob played the symphony in his mind, recalling the familiar harmonies."

You could also use "hear", depending on which usage of "picture" you're trying to replicate.

"I can picture it now..."

"I can hear it now..."

By: ludwig_van

ludwig_van — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 20:46:48 -0800

Yeah, it's audiate.

By: geoscott

geoscott — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 22:26:10 -0800

Wikipedia says Audiate (this is good. I didn't know this - and I'm an ex-professional musician. Probably why I'm ex...)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audiation

By: Sitegeist

Sitegeist — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 01:34:37 -0800

Professor Edwin E. Gordon coined the term. Here is a page detailing the term from his Music Learning Theory website. As you can see (hear?) the term is somewhat coloured by the Professor's own theoretical point of view (audition?).

By: ob

ob — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 08:02:59 -0800

At the risk of not answering/hijacking: I've learned something here. I'm a professional musician and I've never known that there was a word for this. I regularly say to my students "Can you hear this in your head?" or "Can you internalize this?". I guess we used to call this Innerhearing, but I haven't heard that term in twenty years. Anyway, thanks AskMe!

By: footnote

footnote — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 19:47:14 -0800

I hate to be picky (especially since I already favorited "audiate"!) but according to the wikipedia page, audiate (as per Prof. Gordon) specifically refers to music. Is there any one word that refers to imagining sounds in general? In any language?

By: footnote

footnote — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 19:50:01 -0800

Oops, I mean this page:

"Audiation is the process of mentally hearing and comprehending music, even when no physical sound is present. It is a cognitive process by which the brain gives meaning to musical sounds. In essence, audiation of music is analogous to thinking in a language. The term audiation should not be confused with audition, the mere perception of sound. Audiation is also more than just a musical form of auditory imagery. Developed audiation includes the necessary understanding of music to enable the conscious prediction of patterns in unfamiliar music."