Audiation

I learned a new word today: audiation. It's the equivalent of having a vision for something, but in a musical context. You can imagine the music even if it's not there yet. Even if you don't know how to read music or play all the instruments. You internalize it and feel it before it's even played.

“Audiation is the foundation of musicianship. It takes place when we hear and comprehend music for which the sound is no longer or may never have been present. ”

— The Gordon Institute for Music Learning

And it's no surprises musicians like Jimi Hendrix had exceptional audiation skills.

Read Alex Johnston's answer to How did Jimi Hendrix manage to compose songs even though he could not read music? on Quora