Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Composer's Lounge Do you compose best with eyes open or closed?

I find I hear the inner "muse" better with
eyes closed...how about you?

Never thought about it. But the last thing I wrote I took more time to really listen for the harmony in my mind first and was able to find it on the keys instead of floundering around searching on the keys for the right sound.

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I haven't tried either but certainly I would write better with my eyes closed, so I may incorporate that. When I close my eyes my mind wanders more freely. The strange thing is, I've noticed that when I'm dreaming or just mentally drifting I will sometimes hear drum parts to music in detail but generally speaking I can never articulate drum ideas, beyond a simple "boom here, smack there".

It is aggravating that my conscious knowledge always seems miles behind my imagination. That's part of the battle in composing for me, learning how to get what's inside outside.

I need my eyes open to write but I love to close them when I practice.

rada

Yeah I went ahead and started closing my eyes more at the piano and it really helps to really get into the sound. Also I meditate pretty regularly almost always with my eyes closed so whenever I close my eyes I sort of automatically go into a kind of altered state if you will... Usually not particularly drastic but occasionally so. Only drawback is sometimes it's hard to sleep because while I might feel exhausted, as soon as I close my eyes I start "waking up" to the scenery--all the different sounds and body sensations I tune out when I'm too busy focusing on what I'm doing.

Anyhow, so far, so good, I had quite the experience the other day zoning out (tuning in?) improvising with eyes closed. Glad I looked back at this thread because I'm going to do that some more now.