Like me, most people have faked our way through school chorus and church choir by mouthing our way all because we can’t sing very well. While they may actually enjoy the act of singing, such as in the car or while taking a shower, they’re sure to do it only when they’re alone. But if you think of yourself as being tone deaf, you’re certainly not alone. There are about one in seven people that believe they are tone deaf.

Most people think being tone deaf means you just can’t sing, but actually lots of lousy singers have no problems whatsoever hearing music, and they like to listen to it just as much as anyone. When the actual meaning of tone deaf is used, which is just for those who are not able to understand music, the number of people who are actually tone deaf is decreased. In some studies, it has been discovered that approximately only 1 out of every 20 people actually suffers from tone deafness. Tone deafness means that you are unable to distinguish between different pitches, that is how high or how low a note is, making it nearly impossible to identify even a simple tune.

Those who are severely tone deaf are referred to as having “amusia” amongst medical professionals. When you are born tone deaf, you are considered to have congenital amusia. Montreal Battery for the Evaluation of Amusia is a series of tests that researchers created to comb through the different kinds of musical deficiencies. Fascinating research using imaging tests make it possible to compare the brains of those with what are considered normal music abilities with those of a bona fide musician.

Genuine curiosity concerning the functions of the brain relating to the form of music encourages a large percentage of such studies. Currently, there are no researchers working on finding a cure for the tone deaf. Through discovering the mysteries of amusia, scientists hope that they will solve other challenges, including learning disabilities, and they believe that amusia itself could help one day with treating a number of alternative developmental disabilities.

In terms of the organizational structure of music, in the Western world we use half steps (also referred to as semitones) to classify the difference between musical notes. The majority of humans are able to detect the differences between musical notes easily; in fact, many of us are able to recognize fractional changes between semitones. Differences in pitch are much more difficult for those with amusia to distinguish, and often requires a considerable tonal difference before it is detected.

Pitch contour, pitch direction and pitch isolation seem to elude the hearing abilities of the tone deaf. The changes in the contour of a pitch are what ultimately form the melody of a song. Distinguishing changes in pitch within a musical phrase is an especially challenging task for those who have been classified as amusic.

The mechanics of rhythm seem as difficult to grasp for one who suffers from amusia as melody and pitch. However, if the music played is monotone with no variations in pitch, amusics display a good rythmic sense. Because rhythm and music are usually rather intrinsic, it’s certainly understandable that the pitch of the musical piece would hinder those with amusia, causing them to have trouble following the beat.

It is recommended that you visit this site for resources on hearing tests. If you need more details on high frequency hearing loss visit there.

Tagged with: ear problem • hearing care • Hearing Loss • hearing problem

Filed under: Hearing Loss Articles and Information

Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!