When we say that we ΓÇ£hearΓÇ¥ a sound, we are noting the fact that our eardrums are vibrating. These vibrations are converted into electrical signals transmitted quickly to the brain.
Some vibrations of the eardrums are caused by activities within the body itself. Listening in an otherwise silent environment, we can still hear the surging of blood through veins, the heart beating, our own breathing. These sounds are partly transmitted through body tissues directly to the mechanisms of the ear, causing the eardrum to vibrate sympathetically.
When we speak, sing, or clap our hands loudly, the resultant sound waves reach the eardrums by two different routes: through the body tissues and through the air. This causes a primary problem for singers ( and for instrumentalists, if theyΓÇÖre in intimate contact with their instruments). They canΓÇÖt hear the sound theyΓÇÖre making in the way the listening audience hears it.
