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From: mcmillan@eosp1.UUCP (John McMillan)
Newsgroups: net.audio,net.music.classical,net.music
Subject: Re: Tone deafness AND absolute pitch
Message-ID: <852@eosp1.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 4-May-84 12:44:14 EDT
Article-I.D.: eosp1.852
Posted: Fri May  4 12:44:14 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 5-May-84 01:37:31 EDT
References: <293@houxb.UUCP>, <632@pyuxn.UUCP>
Organization: Exxon Office Systems, Princeton, NJ
Lines: 43

I'm going to apologize in advance for the tone of this note; it unfortunately
sounds patronizing.  Tonedeafness is a matter of great concern to
me, and I have been delighted to see some people improve, and others
learn to simply relax and enjoy singing in groups.  I am frequently in
situations where social correctness requires that everyone sing, and it
always makes me angry to consider the social traumas that have been inflicted
upon those whose singing is less than perfect, so that they cannot enjoy
themselves.

I would like to disagree somewhat with H. Silbiger regarding:
(1) symptoms
(2) cure

SYMPTOMS: People who call themselves "tone deaf" are often unable to tell
whether they are reproducing simple melodies, or whether anyone else is.
When they can reproduce a melody, they may spontaneously change key
and sing in bizarre parallel harmonies with others.  They may be
unable to recognize or reproduce two-note intervals.

The tone recognition required to handle speech is quite different from
that required for singing.

CURE: It much more effective to PLAY music rather than to listen to it.
I recommend playing the recorder, one of the easiest instruments to learn
(but choose a good recorder, perhaps with the help of your teacher).
I think the recorder is more effective than the piano because there is
more physical and psychological carryover from a mouth instrument to voice.
Many of the tonedeaf people of my acquaintance studied piano in their youth.

Tonedeaf singers should not be ostracized (a routine occurrence in
gradeschool).  They inevitably have insufficient experience controlling the
vocal apparatus that selects accurate pitches, and they need to feel comfortable
and accepted in group singing situations, where they can get lots
of practice.

ENVOI: A note to those of you who feel you are tonedeaf:  You have many
more fellow sufferers you may believe.  Most of them are trying 
never to have to sing;  when they do sing, you may not notice their
affliction.
					- Toby Robison (not Robinson!)
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