In just 3:20 minutes, this listening test opens your ears to a new dimension of hearing that only around 5% of musicians are aware of: overtone hearing. This ability is essential for learning overtone singing. And it is a prerequisite for the practical implementation of vocal and choral phonetics.

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In 2004, a research group led by Dr. Peter Schneider at Heidelberg University Hospital discovered that people perceive sounds differently depending on which hemisphere of the brain processes them. They developed the Heidelberg Hearing Test to determine whether someone perceives fundamental tones or overtones more prominently in a sound. →Take the Heidelberg Test here

My hearing test is different. It evaluates whether someone recognizes vowels or overtones more strongly in a sound. In the second part, it trains the ability to shift the perception threshold from vowels to favour overtones.

→Watch a video about the background.

Saus’s Listening Test

Relax and listen to the first sound sample. I sing a sequence of nonsensical syllables on a single pitch. If you recognize a familiar classical melody within it, congratulations! You have exceptional overtone hearing and belong to the 5% of people who can perceive this spontaneously.

Audio Example 1

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If you don’t hear the melody, don’t worry. By the end of the listening test, you will hear the overtones.

In the next audio examples, I gradually remove more and more sound information from the voice that the brain interprets as part of speech. Next, I will sing the syllables by changing only the second vowel formant while keeping the first one steady in a low position. The syllables will then only contain Ü-sounds [Y], making the melody clearer to some listeners.

Audio Example 2

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If the melody is now becoming clear, congratulations! At this stage, 20-30% of people can hear the melody. Perhaps you only suspect the melody but aren’t sure if you’re imagining it. Trust your imagination. Your hearing picks up the melody; it’s just that a filter in your consciousness tells you the information is not important. Speech recognition is much more important.

At this point, I’ll reveal the melody: It’s “Ode to Joy” from the 9th Symphony by Ludwig van Beethoven. In the next audio example, I’ll whistle it tonelessly. This will help your brain learn what to listen for. Afterward, listen to Audio Example 2 again.

Audio Example 3

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Is it clearer now? If not, listen to the next example.

In Audio Example 4, I remove the consonants. At this point, the Broca’s area, the brain region responsible for speech recognition, has nothing to do and transfers auditory attention to other regions.

Audio Example 4

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Now, about 60-80% of listeners can hear the melody. If you still can’t hear it, you are likely classified as a fundamental tone listener in the Heidelberg Hearing Test. This has nothing to do with musicality. You are in the company of some of the best flutists, percussionists, and pianists.

In the next example, I completely modify the sound. By using a specific tongue position, I lower the third formant by two octaves until it matches the frequency of the second formant. This creates a double resonance that does not occur in the German language.

Audio Example 5

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This technique is called overtone singing. The ear now lacks familiar sound information, and individual partial tones become so loud due to the double resonance that the brain separates the sounds and informs your consciousness that it perceives two tones.

You likely hear a flute-like melody alongside the voice. Overtone singing is an acoustic illusion. In reality, you’re hearing more than 70 partial tones. Physical reality and perception rarely align.

In the final audio example, I go backward through the entire process to the beginning. Try to keep your focus on the melody the entire time. Feel free to listen to Audio Example 6 multiple times; it trains overtone listening and improves your ability to perceive sound details with confidence.

Audio Example 6

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Our reality is created within ourselves. And it is changeable.