By: Jay Alvarez
Submitted: 2010-05-11 22:30:29 | Word Count: 609
A lot of us are not very good singers. We have had to lip-sync in school choir or during church hymns. Aware of our poor singing, we only dare risk it in the car, with the windows rolled up, or the shower, with the water muffling our voice. If you ask, most people will tell you that they consider themselves tone deaf. Statistically, one out of seven people are in fact tone deaf.
Even though tone deaf pretty much means you can't sing well either, there are a lot of people who hear music perfectly, but sound horrible when they sing. 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. Researchers employing music listening studies have determined that really only five percent of the population is actually tone deaf. It seems the main problem for these folks, and the reason why even the simplest of melodies eludes them, is that they cannot differentiate between high and low pitch.
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There is even a term --amusia -- among researchers for such grave tone deafness. Some people become more tone deaf as they grow older, but others are born with the disability, which is then referred to as congenital amusia. In order to better classify the varieties of musical deficits that occur in humans, tests such as the Montreal Battery (which evaluates amusia levels) were developed by researchers. 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.
There is much curiosity as to how music and the human brain interact. Currently, there are no researchers working on finding a cure for the tone deaf. However, analysts who are conducting these studies indicate that amusia could provide an application for other brain ailments. If they are able to understand amusia, they could possibly begin to understand other problems that affect the brain.
The amusia study participants listen to Western music, which is composed of semitones, also called half-steps; for example, the range between C and C-sharp or A and A-flat. In those with normal musical perception there is rarely a problem with making a distinction between semitones or, for that matter, even notes with just a fraction of a semitone between them. People who suffer from amusia, however, must hear extremely different notes if they are able to tell the difference between the two sounds.
They have a difficult time distinguishing pitch isolation and are unable to hear differences in pitch direction and contour. It is the variations in pitch contour which creates the melody of all types of songs. 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. Amusics do have a sense of rhythm, but it may only be apparent for music that is played as a monotone. As changes in pitch disorient these individuals, causing them to struggle with rhythm in music, it could be that amusia influences all portions of music for them.
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