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moon gazer

Autism and repetitive music

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Just wondering if people on the autistic spectrum have a preference for repetitive music? I know my daughter just loves trance music. She hums along to the melody/line that repeats and this sort of music just sort of calms her down. Of course, I suppose it could also be due to DH's influence :lol: She does enjoy music on the whole, she likes choir and piano too.

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Interesting question...

 

To me, trance music is far less repetitive than pop music. It builds up in layers, and I find the music itself more 'interesting' for that. I find I have to concentrate to 'translate' lyrics and sometimes it seems like too much effort.

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Hi moon gazer -

 

I think there's a big 'clue' in your post about why your daughter calms down when listening to trance music! :lol:

I don't think it has anything to do with autism, though, I think it's just personal preference and an intrinsic feature of the music...

Most 'trance' music has a tempo of around 130-150 beats per minute, which syncs pretty naturally with the body's rhythms when 'working out' (like fast dancing!), which would trigger all sorts of nice feel good chemicals like endorphins and some rather lovely alpha waves too... It's got a rock solid 'four to the floor' repetitive rhythm which again mimics natural rhythms (and body movements if dancing), and also features regular 'breakdowns' in the mix that are both predictable and stimulating ('euphoric').

 

I think most people's taste in music stems more from what they are exposed to and how they are exposed to it. Listening to repetitive music forms like dance/trance/rap etc out of context can be really off-putting, because it does, under those circumstances, sound all the same. On the forum there seems to be a huge diversity of music tastes - people like me who like a little bit of everything, quite a few metal heads and rockers, and there used to be quite a big contingent of mumsy forty somethings who were well into Robbie and take that 'cos they reminded them of their lost yoof! I think the mix of tastes applies equally to autistic and non-autistic members(?)

 

One other point worth thinking about - and i hope no one will take offence because it is purely an observational 'theory'...

When I was working in care I noticed that lots of disabled people seemed to like 'old-fashioned' rock and roll - Elvis and stuff like that. I thought for a while it was maybe the simple 'structure' of music like that that made it more accessible, but then came to the conclusion that it was more a social influence, in the same way that disabled people tend(ed) to dress either far 'older' than their age or far 'younger'. Simple fact was, they were far more reliant on an older generation (mum and dad) helping them select their wardrobes and organise their social lives than most people of a similar age, and their tastes - in music and clothing - reflected that. I think things have improved hugely in that respect in the past decade or so, so there are less and less 20 year olds getting into Elvis and Cliff Richard and wearing tank-tops and cardigans! On the downside, fashions have gone a bit 'retro' lately, with cardies and stuff being quite fashionable, and all my son wants to wear is jeans and t shirts!

 

Blimey - I've waffled on a bit, ent I?

 

Today, I are mostly been listening to Super Furry Animals. Yesterday, it was Underworld and Mogwai and Orb.

 

:D

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Not sure if this is what you mean, but when I'm into a song I play it continuously, over and over again...and worse than that, often I only play the first few bars then back to the beginning, over and over again...

 

Bid :hypno:

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I tend to like music with a heavy, repetitive drumbeat.

 

My record for repeating a song is one song played for three hours.

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Oh yes, another thing I noticed is that she likes to make up as many variations as she can if she's found a tune she likes. So for instance, she recently learnt this little ditty (at her skill level really, its mostly just playing little short pieces that last about 4 to 5 bars of notes) from her piano book. And she went and made up at least 4 different variations around the same "theme", so she'd play it slightly different every time or with different bass accompaniment, but it'd still be recognisably the same tune, IYSWIM... haha... interesting. Mozart himself might have been ASD (or probably high-functioning, or Aspie, since he seemed to be). In his famous piece "Ah vous dirai-je, Maman" (i.e. "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" to most of us), he wrote 12 variations of the same theme/tune.

Edited by moon gazer

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my 11 year old son like's music in the car,if he likes a track he repeats it, currently he like katie Meulas album,sometimes i have on Pablo Nuttini and likes 10/10 track.He hates me singing along,because i am out of tune, :lol: He likes Abba sometimes and Snow Patrol. I forgetthe names of the tracks but he remembers them.

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Music which is really really repetitive often irritates me. I do like Mike Oldfield though and his style is somewhat repetitive. I suspect after reading his autobiography he is an Aspie and does not realise it.

Edited by anewman

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Just wondering if people on the autistic spectrum have a preference for repetitive music? I know my daughter just loves trance music. She hums along to the melody/line that repeats and this sort of music just sort of calms her down. Of course, I suppose it could also be due to DH's influence :lol: She does enjoy music on the whole, she likes choir and piano too.

 

I myself can be obsessed with a song (and beat). I can listen to the same song over and over for about 6 hours a day for months (seriously)

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Sometimes I can listen to the same song over and over again at times depending on what mood I'm in and the songs I'm currently listening to. Also, I do tend to repeatedly listen to the same section of song if I like a certain melody, lyric, etc.

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Hi moongazer.

 

Yes, I prefer repetitive music with a constant rhythm and strong melodies. I also have a strong preference for music with a 'clean' sound - electronic or orchestral instruments, for example.

 

I'm not keen on 'dirty' sounds like electric guitars. I'm also unmoved by music that relies heavily on the expressiveness or emotion of the performance, e.g. rock, soul, jazz, etc. I'm afraid most of it is rather wasted on me.

 

I don't know if my tastes are universally aspie-friendly but if you want any personal recommendations, feel free to PM me. :-)

 

Adam

 

Ps. I often get stuck on a track or album and listen to it over and over again.

Edited by AdamJ

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>:D<<'> Dobie my partner only prefers Heavy Metal Music ( me being a GAGA fan myself). Everyday we have metal and rock music played in our home, in our car etc... When asked to change and listen to alternative music, Dobie has meltdown!! So we have agreed to play the metal music at certain times of the day only ( .i.e. when i'm asleep in bed during my nightshift and when I'm at work). Interesting theory though, I suppose all of us can 'repetitive behaviour', including us NT's ( i have to follow the same routine every am and dont like to change it and I'm NT I think!!!)

 

POLA :rolleyes:

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I'm not keen on 'dirty' sounds like electric guitars. I'm also unmoved by music that relies heavily on the expressiveness or emotion of the performance, e.g. rock, soul, jazz, etc. I'm afraid most of it is rather wasted on me.

May I suggest trying Mike Oldfield - Tubular bells (original recording) second side? Just the beginning bit of it (although it is rather melancholic).

Edited by anewman

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It could be that simple.

 

I listen to the same artists all the time and specific songs. Funny thing is I can listen to a song around 1000 times and still not be able to remember the words! It's more a comfort thing to drown out the background noise or help focus thinking on a task. Maybe it's what they're doing.

 

Just an idea.

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I am enjoying this music at the moment. It is soothing, motivational, energising and meditative. The beat and the build up is extremely powerful. It is because I need it at the moment. It helps to sort of attach the mind and body together so I can do things (I have dyspraxia as well as AS).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdUvc6ESN1w

 

 

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Listening to Dance, trance, house, repetitive music etc is one of the only times i can escape the world of my mind. i just hear music, the beat, the tempo and nothing more, my mind is silent for once.

 

I started listening to white label acid house and rave music when i was 13!! and as soon as i could was going clubbing to dance, this environment (although unconventional) was great because everyone was there for the music and dancing. A social gathering with limited conversations. Now i still listen to house music as it's still a great escape for me that also gives me confidence.

 

I also recently discovered Japanese bamboo pipe and Brain Sync music. This helps me to concentrate and to sleep!

 

Check out Podcasts on itunes, if you havent already. Free music and shows that can be downloaded on to computer, phone or mp3 player. You don't need a mac or apple products and they are completely free and cater for everyone's interests and tastes. My life would be incomplete without podcasts!

 

My link

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I have a hugely diverse love of music, which I put down to my extreme open-mindedness (as well as my entertainer father and the fact that I have perfect pitch). But there is one area where I seem to fall into my comfort zone. I love the Scandinavian euro-pop sound that seems to have been all over the charts in the last couple of decades. If you think early Britney Spears and Backstreet boys sound with those big harmonies and intricate production. Even other "Wall of sound" pop production like Abba and Phil Spector.

 

I used to think this was just some strange obsession, but there are always elements of repetition, be it in the style or the beat. Also it's faceless pop. It's interchangeable in that any pop star or group could sing it and it would sound the same. I guess that's probably what appeals to me.

Edited by SimonJC

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very interesting post.when it comes to myself and my experience with music, i cant remember when i really liked all the tracks in any given album.some i tolerate, others i dismiss, and a chosen few end up going on and on!Guess it can be said that i'm one of those people that is more attentive on the details rather than the whole, i listen to an array of genres/ groups/ artists and like the subtle nuances in melodies or rhythms..sometimes in my head i kind of "sample" the bits i like then create variations within the same theme.I notice this very minute there's some kind of pattern to other things i like apart from music, hmmmm! now it got me thinking.

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Not sure if this is what you mean, but when I'm into a song I play it continuously, over and over again...and worse than that, often I only play the first few bars then back to the beginning, over and over again...

 

Bid :hypno:

 

I listen to music in a similar manner. For me the drumbeat need to be really upbeat(double kick etc), or music with a lot of layers.

 

I listened to Bela Fleck and the Flecktones - Live at the quick almost exclusively for around 8 months last year, with a tendency to repeat big country several times, skipping back on the Q&A section between the bass and alto saxophone.

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I love music and sound in general. My favorites are not necessarily repetitive but have a strong formula to the style, like Northern Soul and Blues. I also like artists with a sense of progression through their work but still have a kind of consistency that is always recognizable even when they change styles and cross genres such as David Bowie or BJork. Having said that my favorite band ever is The Fall and they have many long and repetitive songs with strong bass-lines, drums and repeated phrases through the lyrics. When I first heard them they just appealed to me in a way that no kind of music had done for a long time.

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May I suggest trying Mike Oldfield - Tubular bells (original recording) second side? Just the beginning bit of it (although it is rather melancholic).

 

How amazing that you should suggest Tubular Bells. It was the first record I ever owned! I think I was eight at the time. But I only ever played side one. I can't remember side two at all!

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Music ,like people is unlimited in its variety.one thing that our bodies do is 'synchronise' with thw beat.As baddad says..on beats.As a sound engineer I have observed differnt trends over time.When I hear 1970's 'mixes' the focus is more on mid and treble sounds.In the early 80's a shift took place where popular music began focussing more on the bass sound.What science can tell us is that low frequency bass notes correspond with the higher brain frequencys called 'alpha waves'.I was always amazed when 'rave' came along that people would enjoy dancing to what was generally souless' music ,ie it was music marked by no clear vocal message and ehibited very little traditional musical skills that we attribute to actually playing instruments.This occured ata time when digital synthesisers appeared ,making music more a technological creation than a traditional creative hands on art.

I have very eccletic tastes but with a marked distaste of commercial music as I know its far more about money and production values using standardised software and hardware than talent or origionality,after spending 6 hours sound mixing at music venues I used to go home in the early hours and sit in silence until the birds started singing.I love music with a message and think that most of the musical genres are just played out archaic forms,now fossilised into commercial product.the 'single type music ' fixation may be applicable for many asd'rs.One of my brothers was fixated by Eric Clapton all his life and rarely played anything else.I've met many muso's who pin their flag to one type of music and while they are great within their chosen genre they are more replicants than musicians in that they play everybody elses songs and never write their own.There's a big sociopathic thing with music/identity and we praise our musicians for being able to express emotions and feelings that we feel in our selves but have difficulty expressing,like art and tv soaps and film storylines/characters.One thing that many people find offputting is a musical technique called 'Compression'.When the adverts come on telly the sound levels can be very annoying.This is because of 'compression'.Basically its a method where the difference between the loudest notes and the quietest notes is heavily reduced,I'm sure this is far more annoying to asd'rs who have problems with noise although some might prefer it as the ear just has to match one decibel level and not strain or adjust for the quieter sounds.My fave music at the mo is called 'Architecture of Helsinki'.

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