tone deafness(redirected from Congenital amusia)
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Etymology: Gk, tonos, stretching; AS, deaf
an inability to detect the pitch or changing pitch of a musical note or a voice change.
amusiaThe preferred term for the inability to distinguish among different musical notes, making it impossible to sing or play a musical instrument; tone deafness.
Sensory amusia—The external input is defective, due to either:
• Inability to read musical notation (musical alexia, music blindness, musical blindness, note blindness, receptive amusia); or
• Inability to interpret musical sounds (a condition for which the term tone deafness is most appropriate).
Motor amusia—The internal component or ability to generate music is defective, divided into:
• Vocal amusia; and
• Instrumental amusia.
The inability to detect differences in musical sounds.Synonym: asonia
See also: deafness