Hi Mceljo - what some studies have suggested is that although the ear has limits to "hearing" certain frequencies, the brain DOES somehow perceive them anyway. As far as I know, this has not been proven yet, but it is strongly suggested in different experiments that have been done, and certainly many musicians believe it to be true. Don't have any links, but it seems as though this was discussed pretty extensively here on these forums several years ago...
Hi Wolf - all I meant is that musicians learn by using their ears - by listening to as many different people/groups as possible, both live and recorded, and deciding what we like and what we don't like about a specific sound. Also, we hear ourselves every single time we play, which may seem obvious, even silly, to state, but the important point is - this type of listening is quite obviously NOT done blindly. One needs to know WHY a certain physical action results in a better sound, by essentially doing ABA type comparisons in the practice room. We learn something every time we hear ANYONE play - even if it is one more way not to do it.
Hi Wolf - all I meant is that musicians learn by using their ears - by listening to as many different people/groups as possible, both live and recorded, and deciding what we like and what we don't like about a specific sound. Also, we hear ourselves every single time we play, which may seem obvious, even silly, to state, but the important point is - this type of listening is quite obviously NOT done blindly. One needs to know WHY a certain physical action results in a better sound, by essentially doing ABA type comparisons in the practice room. We learn something every time we hear ANYONE play - even if it is one more way not to do it.