High Pitched Noises

lionessrampant · Jan 8, 2006

I'm a flutist and I practice at home quite often with my kits. Every kit I've had or practiced around really pays no attention to the flute other than to politely excuse themselves from the immediate room I am practicing in, which, let's face it, most humans do as well! (Thats to say that no one likes to hear scales and arpeggios over and over again)

But now, I've had a string of two kitties that behave in a very interesting way: when I play, especially in the middle and high appogiatura of the instrument (middle of the staff and the ledger lines above, for those of you who know notation), Gracie and Lola would come running to me and love all over me; Gracie actually falls into a pile of ecstasy on my lap when I play high notes! I've done enough research to know that what I do doesn't damage their hearing, but why would these cats be so attracted to high notes?

ryn · Jan 8, 2006

Perhaps cats think high pitched sounds are friendly. They lower their voice when trying to be threathening, don't they?

When I was doing scales before my performance classes (don't know what to call them in English: improvisations, making speeches, physical exercises etc.) at uni, Milla got scared and Usva clearly got worried about my well being.

I admid I'm no concert singer, but not that bad either.

shambelle · Jan 8, 2006

Originally Posted by lionessrampant

I'm a flutist and I practice at home quite often with my kits. Every kit I've had or practiced around really pays no attention to the flute other than to politely excuse themselves from the immediate room I am practicing in, which, let's face it, most humans do as well! (Thats to say that no one likes to hear scales and arpeggios over and over again)

But now, I've had a string of two kitties that behave in a very interesting way: when I play, especially in the middle and high appogiatura of the instrument (middle of the staff and the ledger lines above, for those of you who know notation), Gracie and Lola would come running to me and love all over me; Gracie actually falls into a pile of ecstasy on my lap when I play high notes! I've done enough research to know that what I do doesn't damage their hearing, but why would these cats be so attracted to high notes?

I think it's fantastic... do they specifically react then, or do they listen to you whenever you play? I'm a harpist, and PJ will sit and listen to me. I haven't really played around Teddy so I don't know what he'll make of it. However, PJ doesn't have any reaction to my high notes... which are different from that of a flute!
My brother and his girlfriend are a violinist and a violist, and I think their dog listens to them play - but without any reaction, she just sits and enjoys it.
I've always wondered about animals and music...

lionessrampant · Jan 8, 2006

Originally Posted by shambelle

I think it's fantastic... do they specifically react then, or do they listen to you whenever you play? I'm a harpist, and PJ will sit and listen to me. I haven't really played around Teddy so I don't know what he'll make of it. However, PJ doesn't have any reaction to my high notes... which are different from that of a flute!
My brother and his girlfriend are a violinist and a violist, and I think their dog listens to them play - but without any reaction, she just sits and enjoys it.
I've always wondered about animals and music...

Gracie will react as soon as I sit down to play.

My flute teacher's dogs Boomer and Lucky will always come into my lessons with me. Boomer has a tendency to sing along, but Lucky just likes to listen

white cat lover · Jan 9, 2006

My big sister has gotten out of the habit of playing her flute when she is home. Twitch seems to hear it & it basincally sends her into a massive panic attack. I don't know if she actually hears the flute or not, but something about flute playing scares the living daylights out of her. She does like to stick her head into the end of my Clarinet when I practice.

Lily hates both the flute & the clarinet.

mirinae · Jan 9, 2006

My parents' 18-year-old cat will come running whenever my younger sister plays a series of high-pitched notes on the piano. Although she's not much of a lapcat, she becomes extremely affectionate whenever my sister plays the piano (not so much when my musically-talented sister plays the guiter, nor when my mother or I play the piano), and will often perch under the piano bench and listen to her play.

My own cats have never heard a piano (we don't bring them with us when I visit with my parents, as their cat has had 18 years of being the only cat, and my cats are ... ummm ... rambunctious

), but they don't seem to be big music lovers. On the other hand, it could just be that they don't appreciate my singing ...

lionessrampant · Jan 9, 2006

Originally Posted by white cat lover

My big sister has gotten out of the habit of playing her flute when she is home. Twitch seems to hear it & it basincally sends her into a massive panic attack. I don't know if she actually hears the flute or not, but something about flute playing scares the living daylights out of her. She does like to stick her head into the end of my Clarinet when I practice.

Lily hates both the flute & the clarinet.

See, because flute is a pretty open instrument and is made of metal, each individual pitch we flutists play produce several other, virtually inaudible notes called overtones. When the overtone series is in tune, while it is very high, the vibrations are also very close and produce a very pleasing "harmony" to human ears, so maybe even cats can sense and get pleasure from triadic harmony the way we can. I just figured the fact that the noises were high would turn the cats off. Leo totally ignores it but Lola loved it and so does Gracie.

My personal leading theories are that Gracie maybe thinks I'm her momma cat or her kitten (one of them makes high pitched noises to the other affectionately,maybe?, but I'm not sure who does what, or that she thinks I caught a mouse or rodent making high pitched noises? I don't know. Anyone have any info?

tuxedokitties · Jan 9, 2006

Interesting!

I can't play the flute anymore, but whenever I used to play, the cats would run up and paw at it. They do the same thing if I whistle.

When I was little we had an upright piano that could be partially flipped open at the top. Whenever Mom played the piano, her cat would jump up there to listen and feel the music - sometimes she would roll around in such ecstacy that she would fall into the piano.

kaleetha · Jan 9, 2006

Toulouse sits on my knee and presses up against the instrument whenever I play guitar. I love it.

High Pitched Noises

lionessrampant

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ryn

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shambelle

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lionessrampant

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white cat lover

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mirinae

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lionessrampant

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tuxedokitties

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kaleetha

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