Musical key perception in relation to color.

Abstract

A link between musical keys and colors is common among musicians, although there has never been any agreement about which color matches which key. This study tested two alternative key-color associations: E is red and Eb is green, or vice versa. 21 participants (10 men, 11 women; M age = 20 yr., SD = 3.3) with absolute pitch listened to melodies beginning with an anacrusis and a perfect cadence which were played through in C major. Then the melodies began in another key, while four or two colored squares were displayed (in Experiments 1 and 2, respectively). Participants were asked to chose the color which best matched the quality of the new key. The results showed strong support for the E red / Eb green linkage.