MadSci Network: Other |
I don't know the answer to this, but I can give you my opinion and experience of working with deaf pupils. There must be very few people who are completely tone deaf and unable to distinguish between tones. Unless they have a degree of hearing- impairment, I cannot understand any physiologiccal reason for tone deafness. Of course, many people find it hard to sing in tune and describe themselves as tone deaf. Most of us also find it hard to say which is higher when there are two tones that are only a few Hz apart. A trained musician is better. I teach profoundly deaf pupils using oral methods and excellent amplification (maximising their use of residual hearing) and, while some find it hard to tell an oboe from a clarinet, most can. Of course, the more dissimilar the instruments are, the easier it gets. If these youngsters can be trained to hear the differences, I'm sure most people who claim to be "tone deaf" could also learn! My experience is that it is dependant on education - many people (sadly) don't know the difference between the families of instruments. I feel its all a question of careful listening and experience. Kevin Wright
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