Anyone else find music with SSHL off key?

Posted by eustis @eustis, Apr 16, 2023

After SSHL for the second time and now experiencing tinnitus I find that all music is off key. Common issue?

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Yes I have noticed that as my hearing loss got worse that music does appear off key. It is especially noticeable with old church songs I grew up with and now it is quite different listening to the Melodie’s. I just assumed it was due to hearing loss. Even with very good hearing aids it is not the same. I have found out that everything is just noise and that our brains have to separate things out. Anyone else notice this?

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Yes definitely music sounds off key even with expensive hearing aids. On the other hand the phantom music I hear is always right on key.

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Oh, it's just awful, especially listening to music that is new to me. When I'm familiar with the music my brain fills in the tones my ears can't hear. But with music I don't know, I'm helpless. Hearing aids are set to reproduce speech, not the full richness of music. My understanding is that one can get tech (headsets, ear buds etc.) that captures the full range of musical tones, which is great, but doesn't help with live music.

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I’m so sorry. 😞 I have SSHL in one ear and I’m a music professor with highly trained ears. Yes. My poor ear hears the pitches, quality, and timbre differently than my healthy ear. You are not alone.

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@singingprofessor

I’m so sorry. 😞 I have SSHL in one ear and I’m a music professor with highly trained ears. Yes. My poor ear hears the pitches, quality, and timbre differently than my healthy ear. You are not alone.

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And I should add it’s not every pitch but only certain pitches that are out of tune with my poor ear.

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i don't know what SSHL is. that said. i have tinnitus in both ears. but more so my left ear. the things i find interesting is that if i shake my head no. i can hear what sounds like a bell ringing. also when i wake up early in the morning. where it's nice and quiet i hear what sounds like birds singing. but this is in the winter, with the window closed and a snowstorm. no birds around. also i've noticed lately that everyone around me sounds like Alvin & the Chipmunks. which is really funny. bizarre.

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@singingprofessor

I’m so sorry. 😞 I have SSHL in one ear and I’m a music professor with highly trained ears. Yes. My poor ear hears the pitches, quality, and timbre differently than my healthy ear. You are not alone.

Jump to this post

@singingprofessor
I don’t know what SSHL means. However, when I read your post it reminded me of a friend who is a trained choir director and singer. She has a hearing problem in one ear when she sings. If I remember correctly, she hears both the correct pitch and a different sour note simultaneously.
It baffles her and her doctors.

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I have the same issue. Does it get better at all?

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Not sure why SSHL wasn't explained earlier. The world of acronyms reached the 'crazy level' a long time ago! Everything is abbreviated these days. Here's a bit of help. As used, SSHL likely refers to Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss. You may also see SSNHL which stands for Sensorineural Hearing Loss. There is a difference between 'sudden' onset and that which is progressive. So it could be SNHL (not sudden)

Regarding the music issue. Because my HL has been that of progressive bilateral sensorineural variety it has progressive over the years after being diagnosed as mild and is now profound. I now have a cochlear implant that collaborates with my remining hearing aid. I can and do enjoy listening to music. I especially enjoy listening via the telecoils in my hearing devices and/or when using BlueTooth streaming. Both eliminate background noise and allow me to hear what I want to hear directly with my personal technology.

For the most part, however, my greatest enjoyment comes from listening to music I knew prior to having HL. In order to fully enjoy a new piece, I have to listen to it many times before it becomes 'familiar' to me. I suspect some of the success depends on how musical one was prior to having HL. I sang in choir, played a few instruments (poorly) but loved music. I did not have musical training so simply cannot compare my experience with someone who is an experienced musician.

I have 2 adult granddaughters who are both amazing vocalists. I enjoy watching them perform, but wish I could hear them better. I love it when they sing the songs I know.

Are you familiar with the Association of Adult Musicians with Hearing Loss? https://www.musicianswithhearingloss.org

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