# How to I 'forget' music that plays on repeatedly in my head?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-i-forget-music-that-plays-on-repeatedly-in-my-head/315579>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 4, 2005, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-i-forget-music-that-plays-on-repeatedly-in-my-head/315579 "2005-08-04T16:22:32Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![NoCoolUserName](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5fc32e/32.png) [@NoCoolUserName](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoCoolUserName)\
**Post date:** [August 6, 2005, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-i-forget-music-that-plays-on-repeatedly-in-my-head/315579/21 "2005-08-06T04:28:12Z")

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> [@wolf\_meister](#):
>
> This never happens to me and I think I know why. I’ve been playing guitar for 30 years (and boy are my arms tired). Anyway, because I’ve listened to, learned and played literally thousands of songs, there’s so many tunes in my brain that it never gets fixated on any one melody for any length of time. “Eve of Destruction” is replaced by “I Love Rock and Roll” which gets replaced by … well you get the idea.
> 
> For any other Dopers that play instruments, does this hold true for you too? Or do you get the infamous "song stuck in your head syndrome?

I’ve been playing for [mumble] years (and boy, are my fingers sore). I use “Layla”–a song I don’t mind hearing in my head, and good enough that it drives out anything else.

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**Author:** ![Feydeau](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/df788c/32.png) [@Feydeau](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Feydeau)\
**Post date:** [August 6, 2005, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-i-forget-music-that-plays-on-repeatedly-in-my-head/315579/22 "2005-08-06T06:46:23Z")

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I forget where I read this, but it works for me.

Hum “The Girl From Ipanema” (don’t sing it, just hum the tune) and within moments, the original earworm, as well as Ipanema, are gone.

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**Author:** ![Buckler\_of\_Swashing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Buckler\_of\_Swashing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buckler_of_Swashing)\
**Post date:** [August 6, 2005, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-i-forget-music-that-plays-on-repeatedly-in-my-head/315579/23 "2005-08-06T07:08:55Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> originally posted by **ExtraKun**
> 
> Great, but it will be strange…

I think of that as a pro rather than a con. 😃

Just kidding. I see your meaning. Maybe if you hum something ‘internally’ it will be, you know, slightly less wierd.\*

\*Warning. Your national anthem is not intended to be taken internally. If jingoism persists, please see your physician.

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**Author:** ![rjk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@rjk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjk)\
**Post date:** [August 7, 2005, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-i-forget-music-that-plays-on-repeatedly-in-my-head/315579/24 "2005-08-07T01:44:29Z")

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Here’s [an old thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=244109). See my post (#7) for what worked for me. YMMV.

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