postr/StutterJanuary 30, 2017

Stuttering when playing or thinking music

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Stuttering when playing or thinking music I'm 32 and have been stuttering most of my life, as has my dad. It's not severe, but like most of us, certain situations are triggers. One thing I've noticed over the years is that I often stutter when playing a musical instrument. I've been play music almost as long as I've been talking. Whether it's piano, trumpet, or guitar, I get EXACTLY the same feeling in my mind as when I stutter speaking -- just that it affects my fingers or blowing instead. (Interestingly enough, I almost never stutter when singing.) Anyone else? Going beyond that, I often get stuttering when hearing songs in my head, such as your regular earworm from the radio. It's like I can't get the song to start in my head. It can be maddening. As annoying as it is, I find this fascinating. We know that stuttering is an issue in the speech centers of the brain, so this provides insight into how much music is processed like speech -- even when no words are involved. I've always felt like music is a language, and it has often been my preferred language. This really confirms it. Anyone else have some insight into this?

Themes

Causes & Variability

Subthemes

Situational VariabilityNeurological & Brain