"tone deaf"

[Dave Nereson]

    I hate it when customers claim to be "tone deaf" or to have "tin ears".
They can hear the phone ring and somehow distinguish that from the doorbell,
but they're "tone deaf"?  They can tell that one note's higher or lower than
another, and they can distinguish "Amazing Grace" from "Louie, Louie", but
they're "tone deaf"?  I bet some of them even sing reasonably well and
somewhat in tune at church or in the shower, but still claim to be "tone
deaf".   In fact, I'd venture to say there's no such thing as being deaf
only to tones, but being able to hear everything else.  I suppose what they
really mean is that they can't name a note when they hear it -- but that's
pitch recognition, not "tone deafness".   --David Nereson, RPT, Denver