Believe it or not there are a great many similarities between fragrance and music. Music and fragrance speak the same language: they’re composed of notes, harmonies and the so-called “juice” that is perfume is also known as a composition.If you’ve ever been unable to find the words to describe a certain perfume or fragrance, thinking about it in terms of music might help.
We think of a tone or a chord to transport us to the land of music. Similar terminology is used to describe the world of perfume, when we talk about accords and harmonies. A great fragrance is as complex, sensual and harmonizing as a grand musical composition and is carefully composed of notes, as many or as little as it takes to capture the perfumer’s vision.
Just like a chord in music, a perfume contains a top note, a middle or heart note, a and base note. The top note is the first note that we smell and it produces the immediate impression of the perfume. Top notes are composed of small light molecules with high volatility that evaporate quickly. Heart notes emerge just before the top notes have faded. Odors from this note class will emerge anywhere from two minutes to an hour after the perfume has been applied. Base notes, sometimes called the dry down, emerge while the heart notes are fading. Scents of this category are large, heavy molecules that are usually not detectable until at least thirty minutes after scent has been applied. They are often the fixatives used to hold and boost the strength of the lighter top and heart notes.
The varying evaporation rates of different molecules in a perfume is the reason a perfume will not smell the same when it is first applied as it does a couple of hours later.
A chord in music – with two or more keys, notes, or tones that when played together form a new sound – is quite a bit like an accord in fragrance which is a harmonious blend of fragrance materials carefully combined to create a completely new and different fragrant entity. As such, an accord can stand on its own and it’s difficult to detect the individual components.
In 1857, perfumer and chemist named G. W. Septimus Piesse published a popular olfactory guide called The Art of Perfumery which introduced the idea of thinking of fragrance in terms of musical notes. In it he created a comparative scale of 46 different aromas called the “Gamut of Odors”. Piesse used the methodology of scaling notes – jasmine and rose, for example, both ranked as C notes, whereas civet and ambergris were assigned the F note. Although this methodology wasn’t widely accepted, the terminology caught on which is why we speak of notes and accords in perfumery.
It’s worth noting that even the perfumer’s traditional workstation, in which raw materials are arranged by top, middle and base notes, is referred to as an organ.
Anyone who’s ever tried to compare such wildly different perfumes as Vivienne Westwood’s Boudoir or ALTAIA’s Don’t Cry for Me knows that perfume can range from being dramatic and seductive to nostalgic and romantic. Perfume has the ability to both influence and mirror how we feel and is like mood music to our nose.
A fragrance can be loud or quiet, energetic or peaceful. It can be as simple as an a cappella vocal or as majestic and multifaceted as a symphony. The simplest compositions show their hands early on while a more complex scent will unfold over time. It may begin with a light citrus note which leads into rose before turning into a musky amber.
Unlike painting or literature, both music and fragrance are artistic expressions that are invisible. Some like to compare top notes in perfume to lighter, higher frequency musical instruments like chimes and heart notes which are most often florals and called the soul of the perfume to the lead guitar or voice, while the heavier base notes equate to the drums or bass.
One of the most striking similarities between music and fragrance is their ability to create an atmosphere. Both have the ability to create a mood, a lingering impression that’s felt by all the senses: hearing, sight, smell, touch and taste.
Francis Kurkdjian, the nose behind too many blockbusters to name as well as his own celebrated line, puts it this way: “To me music and perfume are very much related because they use a common medium – the air. You hear music when the vibration of the sound in the air hits your ears, the same way that perfume needs the movement of air to come to your nose. Both mediums are invisible, compared to painting or literature. This is why they are so deep in our soul, in a way.”
Maybe we hear or smell notes the same way but the experience is unique to each individual. The story told by the music or perfume blends with our personal feelings, moods or understanding of it to make it what becomes our own personal interpretation.
Wow Erica! What an intriguing article about how music and perfume come together. I have never read anything like it and I’m so glad that I found your website.
Erica would you be able to share what inspired you to put together music and perfume so elegantly?
Scents are no doubt such a big part of our lives when it comes to memories, emotions, and so much more. Love how you tied musical chords with scents. Thank you so much for your extremely unique article that was also very easy to read and well written.
I also noticed you have multiple articles on your website covering a large amount of interesting topics. I look forward to browsing the rest of your website once I am finished writing this comment. Thanks for making my day brighter by writing this one of a kind piece.
– Jay. S.
Hi Jay,
First off, thanks for dropping by. There’s actually been a lot written about how perfume and fragrance are very much related and the common medium is air. Several years ago I read an interview with celebrated nose Francis Kurkdjian that really resonated with me. He talked about how we hear music when the vibration of the sound in the air hits our ears, the same way that perfume needs the movement of air to come to our nose. Both mediums are invisible, as compared to literature or painting. This might explain why, like music, perfume can reflect and affect how we feel.
Hope to see you back soon,
Erica
I believe it’s very interesting to classfy perfumes with music notes but it also interesting to note the perfumes can be applied at different functions with it’s own kind of blend of perfumes so each functions can have it’s own fragrance, the tone and the notes perfect harmony for a classic song.
Hey Charles,
After reading this twice I’m still not entirely clear what you are saying. Perfume and music are certainly not the same thing but please elaborate more. I’m confused:)
Erica
I always believe that fragrances are very powerful and needed when it comes to setting an atmosphere. fragrances can create emotional responses to different situations and they are often times used to create nostalgic moments. As a man, i am always looking for perfumes to give to the women in my family as this is something that can never be a wrong gift. Thank you so much for sharing i will be looking into making a few purchases.
Jamiro
Hi Hamiro,
Both scent and music can be used to create a powerful emotional response. Some perfumes make me feel incredibly nostalgic just like hearing a favorite song played that dates back to much earlier years does. I’m glad your female family members enjoy your perfume choices and you seem to like shopping for them. That’s a win-win:)
Erica
This is really intense and clear explanation about the similarities between Fragrance and Music. Until I read this article I had no idea that Fragrance and music had so many similarities amongst them. Reading this has been an eye opener..
Thank you so much for sharing this article and giving me a new perspective.
Sujandar
Hi Sujandar,
When I first realized that the language used in fragrance and in music went together I was surprised too.We talk about notes, chords and harmony in both and of course both are stored in our memory.
Thanks for stopping by,
Erica
Although I love music and fragrances, I never thought of them as having similarities. After reading through your article, I can see how perfume notes can create a harmonious effect . When the right perfume notes are put together it’s same as a musical composition like a symphony or a well coordinated orchestra. Thanks for the heads up.
Hi Mjia,
Both create an emotional response as well that can be very moving when done right. Thanks for dropping by:)
Erica
Wow. This is fascinating, Erica. The power and the subtlety of the olfactory senses. I know as a screenwriter all I need sometimes is just the memory of a scent to stir my imagination even when it’s irrelevant to the actual story I am writing. It’s hard to argue with Kurkdjian about the perfect relationship to the medium of air but I know a little something about filmmaking and I’ll bet I can draw a fairly close correlation to the visual arts , as well. Especially the layers that makeup just one frame of film (sans sound, of course). But, as you have shown, the similarity of fragrance to music is uncanny. (Would you call it time-released music? Lol ) I would love to find a copy of the Piesse book. But,1857? Somehow I have a feeling it’s out of print. Probably been out of print for about a hundred years. Anyway, this is fantastic stuff, Erica and superbly written. John T.
Hi John.
I also find that scents have an uncanny way of bringing memories vividly back and as a screenwriter I’m not surprised that you’ve been able to harness fragrance for inspiration. Time-released music might be an oxymoron but I like it:) And Septimus Piesse’s book believe or not can be found online for free if you google The Project Gutenberg ebook of the Art of Perfumery. Totally free btw.
Erica
Wow, what an interesting point of view. I can totally agree with you on all of the similarities between fragrances and music. I can attest to my own. I have some that are mellow, some that are upbeat, loud, spunky, passionate. I can keep going. Something funny I think is that some fragrances give me a headache; as it is with certain music.
Hey Jonathan,
Yet another similarity to add to the list – both music and fragrance have ability to cause headaches.
Thanks for stopping by and hope to see you back soon!
Erica
Wow, I has absolutely no idea about this. What an incredible insight! I can see how this works from your description and clear comparison.
From light smells to heavy fragrances, each play their own “note” or determine how loud they are (I’ve smelt some powerful fragrances.)
However, I feel like smells do invoke some feeling of colors or images in the imagination. I surely see some colors related to certain fragrances. Like lighter smells can be compared to flowers.
Hi Gabriella,
If you are seeing colors and images in scents then you are probably a synesthete, someone who experiences a perceptual phenomenon in which stimulation of one sensory pathway leads to an automatic and involuntary experience in another sensory pathway. I know others with this ability and find it very cool and fascinating.
Erica
I never thought that my cologne could have anything to do with any sort of music. This article is quite intriguing, especially because of the complex ways that perfume can be compared to music, even with various notes. I hope my cologne doesn’t make too much noise! Thanks for this great article!
Not knowing your cologne I can’t offer my opinion. If you are wearing Paco Rabanne One Million or Creed Aventus I’d say it’s on the noisy side. Apply sparingly if in doubt.
Thanks for stopping by.
Erica
How very interesting! I never thought of music and fragrance being the same but you have written a very concise and understandable post about it. I love the idea of it! How would you best describe your top picks? I need some new perfume so your opinion would be appreciated! Thanks for your post, I really enjoyed reading it.
Music and fragrance share common characteristics that I was only vaguely aware of until a couple of years ago. I love both so figure that out:) Not to be a Debbie downer but there’s no way my telling you my top picks will help you in your fragrance journey. We are all so different and even our own individual tastes may change over time. If you’re serious about finding something that you love my advice is to due a lot of dating.
Cheers and good luck on your quest!
Erica