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Kylie Minogue's in the promo video for her hit Can't Get You Out Of My Head
Kylie Minogue's in the promo video for her hit Can't Get You Out Of My Head, whose pop hooks are hard to shift. Piano music can be just as persistent, as Susan Tomes points out. Photograph: PA
Kylie Minogue's in the promo video for her hit Can't Get You Out Of My Head, whose pop hooks are hard to shift. Piano music can be just as persistent, as Susan Tomes points out. Photograph: PA

Can’t get tune out of your head? Try this

This article is more than 1 year old

Pianist Susan Tomes passes on advice that she received from a psychotherapist to chase away dreaded earworms

Tim Harrison asks for tips on how to get rid of certain music playing on an endless loop in his brain (Letters, 25 September). I once developed a bad case of music-looping after recording an album of jolly 1920s syncopated piano music. The resulting sleeplessness got so bad that I consulted a psychotherapist. He advised deep breathing techniques and taught me how to devote my attention to slow, even breathing while allowing my mind to become quiet. I still use this method to chase away the dreaded earworms.
Susan Tomes
Edinburgh

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