Tone deafness is best thought of as the inability of a person to discriminate between musical notes. It is also a lack of relative pitch. It is very important to note that tone deafness does not accurately describe someone whom many consider to be a bad singer. Contrary to popular belief, tone deafness is actually the inability to properly hear differences between musical notes that is not based on a lack of musical education or training. Tone deafness can variously be known as dysmusia, amusia, dysmelodia, and tune deafness. In most cases, people are born with tone deafness since it seems to be genetically influenced. However, there are instances where people can come to be tone deaf because of a resulting brain injury.
What Is Tone Deafness?
• Tone Deafness Definition: The particulars of what it means to be tone deaf.
• Tone Deafness Defined: A scientific article that explains what tone deafness is and describes researchers’ work regarding this condition.
• The Definition of Amusia: Web page provides the definition of amusia, which is another term for tone deafness.
Musical Pitch, Not The Same As Tone
• Musical Pitch Basics: A virtual keyboard that educates visitors on the different musical pitches.
• Web Resource Page for Pitch: A resource guide with further informational sources on musical pitch.
• All About Musical Pitch: Musical pitch is discussed as wavelengths in simple terms.
Difference between Tone and Pitch
• Pitch and Tone Differences: Pitch and tone are not the same concept.
• The Difference Between Pitch and Tone: An explanation of what pitch and tone are, clarifying that they are not the same.
• Sound Components: Discussion about intensity, tone and pitch, as well as what distinguishes music from noise.
Are You Born Tone Deaf?
• Tone Deafness and the Neuroscience of it: Scientific article that discusses tone deafness as a genetic defect.
• Is Tone Deafness Congenital?: Is tone deafness something people are born with?
• Tone Deafness and the Subconscious: Report on a study where congenitally tone deaf people were still able to subconsciously identify improper musical notes.
Are You Tone Deaf?
• Test for Tone Deafness: Tone Deafness test that explores if people are tone deaf and just don’t know it.
• Musical Listening Test for the Tone Deaf: Another test that is meant to help people figure out if they are tone deaf.
• Testing Sense of Pitch: A government test that lets people determine if they have become tone deaf.
Is Tone Deafness Curable?
• Auditory & Vestibular Function Testing: In-depth discussion of various tests for hearing impairments.
• Tone Deafness Research: Can you learn not to be tone deaf?
• Tone Deafness and Pitch Problems: Discussion of the causes of tone deafness, pitch errors, and curability.
Charles Darwin
• Darwin Autobiography Selections: Darwin’s tone deafness is references under the “Death of his daughter, Ann” section.
• All About Darwin: Read the section “What kind of music did Charles Darwin like?”
Ulysses S. Grant
• Facts about Grant: Fact page that includes information on Grant being tone deaf.
William Butler Yeats
• William Butler Yeats Information: Brief mention of his being tone deaf and history of Yeats' life.
Theodore Roosevelt
• Biography of Theodore Roosevelt: Theodore Roosevelt's biographical information and note about his tone deafness.
Che Guevara
• Tone Deaf People: Information that discloses how Guevara got himself into an embarrassing situation due to his tone deafness.
• News Article: News article that includes information on Guevara’s tone deafness.
Pitch Definition in Music
• Definition of Pitch: Musical definition of pitch that is featured on a music terminology website.
• Concepts of Pitch: Detailed definition and overall concept of musical pitch.
Perfect Pitch
• Perfect Pitch Defined: A thorough definition of perfect pitch.