subject: Data For You About Amusia [print this page] Numerous individuals do not have a singing talent, and they were forced to pretend to sing in school choir or the singing time in church. 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.
The truth is, most people consider themselves to be tone deaf - and they aren't alone. Approximately one out of every seven people believes he/she is tone deaf.
Many awful singers out there actually hear the music well and like what they hear, so equating tone deafness with an incapability of singing is not necessarily correct. When spoken of literally and in a medical sense, tone deafness is defined as not being able to accurately perceive music, rather than just being a poor singer.
Studies conducted using musical listening tests reveal that the higher percentage attributed to the tone deaf should really be reduced from one in seven to one in 20.
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.
The true clinical term for being tone deaf is called amusia. Those with congenital amusia are classified as having been born with the condition.
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. By combining this data with high-tech imaging tests, researchers can now compare the brain functions of musicians and people who have just normal musical ability.
Researchers are curious about the workings of a brain and it's relation to music, which is why this research is performed. To date, we have not heard of anyone seeking a tone deafness remedy.
However, those doctors consumed with the study of amusia report that finding out more about this mysterious deficit could unlock the mystery of other developmental disabilities. For instance, if they can puzzle out amusia, they may learn more about learning 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. Typically, even musically untalented folks can still discern the difference between half steps.
The bulk of us can tell the difference between notes that only a fraction of semitones apart. People with amusia, on the other hand, require quite a bigger separation before they are able to hear a difference correctly.
The contour and direction of pitches (also known as pitch isolation) is another difficulty shared by those who are tone deaf. The many variations in notes is, of course, what makes up a song. Research has demonstrated that people with amusia truly cannot pick out a shift in the pitch of note within a musical phrase.
Amusics often have as much difficulty with the beat as they do with the notes. However, if the music played is monotone with no variations in pitch, amusics display a good rythmic sense.
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.
