2. misc-audio
  3. 169053-121242

Learning to Listen: Neurological Evidence

Neurological evidence indicates we not only learn to listen, but actually tune our inner ear response based on neural feedback from the brain. We literally are able to actively tune our own hearing.  

When we listen for a flute for example, this is more than a conscious decision to focus on the flute. This creates neural impulses that actively tune ear cells to better hear the flute.  

This whole video is fascinating, but I want to get you hooked right away so check this out:  
https://youtu.be/SuSGN8yVrcU?t=1340

“Selectively changing what we’re listening to in response to the content. Literally reaching out to listen for things.”


Here’s another good one. Everyone can hear subtle details about five times as good as predicted by modeling. Some of us however can hear 50 times as good. The difference? Years spent learning to listen closely! https://youtu.be/SuSGN8yVrcU?t=1956

Learning to play music really does help improve your listening.  

This video is chock full of neurphysiological evidence that by studying, learning and practice you can develop the listening skills to hear things you literally could not hear before. Our hearing evolved millennia before we invented music. We are only just now beginning to scratch at the potential evolution has bestowed on us.


128x128millercarbon

Showing 3 responses by jetter

jetter
2,969 posts
 
At some odds with your very valid point is that there are musicians who often don’t have very good systems or care very much about sound quality in audio systems. That may merely be because they just don’t care about audio quality sound -- which would be weird -- or that they listen in some other way.
I think that the answer lies in the fact that these musicians, as well as other music lovers, can truly enjoy the artists and music on whatever audio gear they are listening to regardless of the price.  The music is the message, it is delivered regardless of the price of the equipment.

The reality check is that if music was not that enjoyable on inexpensive equipment, the music industry as we know it today would not exist. What percent of persons who love and listen to music and really are the mainstream support of artists have actually spent more than, taking a guess, $2K or $3K for their stereo systems if that, 2 percent, 3 percent?

I think inherent in the mindset of many audiophiles is that their enjoyment on expensive equipment is more than the non audioplile’s enjoyment on their relatively inexpensive equipment.  I understand how you can think that, but I can say I know people who listen on "regular" equipment who love their sounds.
jetter
2,969 posts
 
Well, my son was playing in bands at clubs on weekends, drums, banjo, and bass and rythym guitar. Covid pretty much ended that for awhile. He never asked me to "learn" him how to listen, which must be why he doesn’t have an expensive audio rig, just some nice ladies. He is a wine distributor on the weekdays.
jetter
2,969 posts
 
Well I remember einstein mentioned in a different thread that the reason his supertweeters were effective, even though they play in an inaudible frequency range, is because humans have ear hairs that are attuned to those frequencies.  The story is that those ear hairs were necessary for survival so our primative ancestors could listen and protect themselves against animal and other threats.  So while the sounds are inaudible, they are providing innate and natural cues.

I'm guessing that although innate, one cave man taught the others how to listen for those threats with their ear hairs that detect sounds in the inaudible range.

Alley Oop - The Hollywood Argyles - YouTube
More to discover