How to get rid of a song that is stuck in your head?
updated the 14 July 2015 à 18:35You hum for an hour, unwittingly, the last tune of David Guetta or the rhyme you sang last night to your little one? To end torture and save your colleagues’ ears, learn the tricks to kick that stubborn song out of your head!
What characterizes those stubborn songs which reside in our heads and refuse to leave? According to an English team which has succeeded in removing music in more than 5000 users, it is simple melodies with repetitive structures. Meaning: mostly songs that get stuck despite our will, those which we are ashamed to admit to know – and especially since we do not want to see them escape from our mouths – we simple repeat in our heads. Other factors also interfere such as the resonance of certain words in our unconscious, stressful situations or unstable emotional state. Remember also, long notes and frequent choruses make the songs easier to sing.
Anti-humming strategy
Researchers at Western Washington University have discovered that we could get rid of this habit by musical anagrams! They also tested the sudoku but with less success. In fact, any activity that monopolizes our brain is sufficiently effective. But be careful not to choose a too difficult challenge because the cursed melody could take advantage our hesitation to return to our unconscious. “The key is to find something that will give the right level of challenge,” says Dr. Ira Hyman, a psychologist and musicologist, ““If you are cognitively engaged, it limits the ability of intrusive songs to enter your head.” This is not the case when you do something automatic, like driving or walking.
What are the most ‘sticky’ songs?
According to reliable (yes!) scientific research, the melodies more likely to become embedded in our memory will be those of Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Abba, Beatles or David Bowie. But all the songs are potentially “harmful” especially those we don;t know in full: “These are the tunes that remain most often in the head because we do not know most of the lyrics so the song remains unfinished. Hence, even if we do not go after it, it tends to return again and again “says Dr. Hyman.
Source: The Telegraph
Maureen DIAMENT
