If you had to...

I don't think Beethoven's music suffered from his deafness. He wrote the Ode to Joy while deaf. I find it a very moving piece! I can hear music in my head all the time, so I don't think my ability to hear has anything to do with my experience of music anymore. So many years of musical study, and I can look at a musical score and know how it will sound. I can \"read\" music not only how it translates to my fingers to play, but like when you are reading a book and create a full image of what you are reading about, not just hearing the words in your head. I can't imagine that losing my hearing would affect that ability.

scootiebee wrote:

I can \"read\" music not only how it translates to my fingers to play, but like when you are reading a book and create a full image of what you are reading about, not just hearing the words in your head. I can't imagine that losing my hearing would affect that ability.

Aah we have to learn to 'hear' music just from looking at the score. I can usually do it if it's just a piano piece or something, but the large concertos with lots of parts going on at once really get me (Bach's work particularly). I'm really bad at hearing intervals as well, and consequently I can't sing intervals very well in my head when I want to know exactly what something sounds like.

I'd loose the ability to speak. There are times already where I just can't speak, when emotionall in some way or when I just haven't done it for a while, and it's a great way to communicate, sure, but it's not the only way. I live by the fact that 10% of a converation with a stranger consists of the words you speak, and I can usually make myself clear even tho I'm not talking. If nothing else, I could always write what I wanna say, much easier even tho it takes longer time, but then I also get to think someone out when writing, in a manner you can't while talking.

CorpseQueen wrote:

I'd loose the ability to speak. There are times already where I just can't speak, when emotionall in some way or when I just haven't done it for a while, and it's a great way to communicate, sure, but it's not the only way. I live by the fact that 10% of a converation with a stranger consists of the words you speak, and I can usually make myself clear even tho I'm not talking. If nothing else, I could always write what I wanna say, much easier even tho it takes longer time, but then I also get to think someone out when writing, in a manner you can't while talking.

You probably mean the ability to hear (which is needed to learn how to speak). \"speaking\" isn't considered as one of the five senses.

There's actually more then 5 senses, around 50 or more I believe. One about where your hands are, and so on.

If I'd loose an ability, it's speach. A sense, then I don't know. Touch would be difficult, very difficult, as is the same with blindness - harder then you'd think. I guess smell is one I could willingly loose, as I don't depend on it as much as others. Not being able to smell my tea, but at least I can taste it, as is the same with most things. Sure, smell could enhance taste, but it's not vital.

I definitely wouldn't want to lose smell or taste. They are incredibly intertwined. Try an experiment. Plug your nose (pinch it closed so you can't breathe in), and then eat something without smelling at all. Very different. Plus, I would never want to eat something rancid, or something that wasn't smelling right. I definitely want to keep my sense of smell and taste. They evolved to protect us from accidentally poisoning ourselves! I think I will hold on to that! I have heard of people who have lost sense of smell/taste, and have become extremely ill because of it. Also, a woman who lost her sense of some types of touch, who ended up burning herself very badly, and didn't even realize it. I can't imagine that.