Do I need to train my ears?

Posted by: silklee on 28 August 2002

I have an acquaintance who tells me we can train our ears to hear 50Hz. By the same account, I would suppose he means that we can train our ears to hear anything with 20hz to 20khz and identify which frequency range we are actually listening to.

Is that really possible? Can we listen to a piece of music and tell ourselves “okay, REM is now playing the bass guitar at 80 Hz”.
Posted on: 28 August 2002 by Bob Shedlock
Sure it's possible, and 50 hz is pretty easy, particularly as a pure tone. My question to you is, "Why?". I listen to music, not specific tones.
Posted on: 29 August 2002 by Martin Payne
quote:
Originally posted by Richard Bowles:
p.s. the 20Hz to 20KHz hearing range is a total myth, and incredibly misleading...




Richard,

now my interest is piqued. Care to expand?

cheers, Martin
Posted on: 29 August 2002 by Rico
Man invents machines to make life easier. This works most of the time (a food process or is a questionable invention). If you want to identify tones accurately, there are instruments made to do this. roll eyes You can buy one, and employing an appropriate microphone, gain an accurate representation of a given frequency.

I would tend to use my ears (in conjunction with my brain) for listening and enjoying music. I know it sounds a little luddite, what with CD's and perfect sound, and SACD and super tweeters to 50KHz and all... but at the risk of my ears being rendered obsolete by new technology, I'll stick to "bandwidth limited" LP's, and the odd CD. Thanks. wink

PS - mines a pint.

Rico - SM/Mullet Audio

OTD - Coldplay - Parachutes
Posted on: 30 August 2002 by Linds
A hi-fi dealer (Glasgow Audio) once proposed the analogy that appreciating good music (from good hi-fi) is like appreciating fine wines: Only once you know what you like and dislike will you enjoy it more and more.

No arguments - it's a brilliant analogy.

So it stands then that unless we "train" or "practise" to hear and enjoy and listen and enjoy, our brain can run the old "bright vs dull" programme which you can use to compare cheapo samsung mini systems and crap tellies.

I studied Music at school and was "trained" to differentiate between clarinet and oboe; viola and violin, etc, etc. Maybe that's where my hi-fi bug started...?

There's always money somewhere for the next upgrade...