What is your Default Earworm?

[Michael]

"Earworms" are tunes that you find yourself humming without even realising what it is that you are .....well, humming.
I have two ......one of them is the second movement of "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik " and the other is the opening movement of Dvorak's "American Quartet", formerly known by a more politically incorrect name.

Strangely enough, I have only one Beethoven earworm: the opening of his String Quartet, Opus 18. No. 3 (probably the first string quartet he composed.)

None of these works are anywhere near my Top Fifty musical favourites. So why do I find myself humming these tunes 95 per cent of the time?

Does anybody else have these humming obsessions?

C'mon - own up!

[Sorrano]

Some of my favorite earworms occur in the final movement of the first three of Beethoven's Piano Concerti. I find the last movement of his Violin Concerto has a tendency to stay in my head for a long time, after.

On the other hand, the mention of earworm brings Bolero to mind and then I have to go listen to something else to get it out of my head.

(Oh crap! I mentioned it.)

[Peter]

How awful for you Michael! Is there no cure? Thank goodness I don't have a default earworm, but I suffer from pupil mistake syndrome, hearing the pieces I've taught that day - for example one little girl I was teaching last week - her playing reminded me of someone with hiccups!

[Enrique]

In Spanish we say that the music has stuck on yourself. The music of this or that composer can become an earworm for me, but never Beethoven. I have noticed that. Even Brahms can stick on me, but not Beethoven. Dunno the cause of this exception.

[Sorrano]

In the case of my Beethoven earworms, they are rather welcome and pleasant. There are several others that are not.

[Michael]

How awful for you Michael! Is there no cure? Thank goodness I don't have a default earworm, but I suffer from pupil mistake syndrome, hearing the pieces I've taught that day - for example one little girl I was teaching last week - her playing reminded me of someone with hiccups!

I'll settle for what I have after reading the above.

[Peter]

I'll settle for what I have after reading the above.

Yes, better the devil you know! Just think what I have to put up with - it's usually the most ghastly grade 1 piece, catchy and the one they all want to learn and play badly - this year's set earworm is chattanooga-choo choo. After teaching it for the 5th time in a week and over a period of 6 months, I have to up the sanity pills!

[gardibolt]

As was the case for Mendelssohn himself, the first movement of his violin concerto sometimes gets into my head for weeks at a time and cannot be moved.

[Sorrano]

As was the case for Mendelssohn himself, the first movement of his violin concerto sometimes gets into my head for weeks at a time and cannot be moved.

That is one I think I would like.

[Enrique]

I would like it too.

[AeolianHarp]

Well I was doing a course on his sonatas in September and October which of course required a lot of listening to them and I would go to sleep hearing them and wake up hearing them- bit like being haunted but in a good way.

I want to be haunted by the second movement of the Ninth as it so beautiful, it is the musical equivalent of love.

[Enrique]

You surely mean the third movement, Aeolian.

[Megan]

How awful for you Michael! Is there no cure? Thank goodness I don't have a default earworm, but I suffer from pupil mistake syndrome, hearing the pieces I've taught that day - for example one little girl I was teaching last week - her playing reminded me of someone with hiccups!

Were you teaching her Staccato excercises ?
I've been doing repetative Staccato excercise and it gets stuck in my head and drives me cuckoo! In fact the piece is named, The Woodpecker, sounds more like morse code when played.


.

[Hollywood]

Often I will get the second movement of Beethoven's Sym. #7 going through my head (like right now).

[AeolianHarp]

Often I will get the second movement of Beethoven's Sym. #7 going through my head (like right now).

Oh how fortunate you are. A blessing in the head that is. I love the second movement of the 7th- my favourite part of it.