A Summary of Michel Chion's "The Three Listening Modes"

There are at least 3 modes of listening each of which address different objects. Causal listening, semantic listening and reduced listening.
Causal listening is most common. When the cause is visible sound can provide supplementary information about it.
We rarely recognize a unique source exclusively on the basis of sound we hear out of context. The human individual is probably the only cause that can produce a sound, the speaking voice, that characterizes that individual alone.
At the same time a source we are closely familiar with can go undefined. We can listen to a radio announcer without knowing any physical attributes or name etc.
Sometimes we do not recognize an individual or unique source but rather a general category such as human, mechanical or animal cause.
Sound often has not just one source but numerous. Eg: writing with a felt pen, the first two sources are the pen and paper. Hand gestures also count as well as the writer himself are also sources. If the sound is recorded the loudspeaker and the audio tape are also sources.
Semantic listening- that which refers to a code or a language to interpret a nessage (often spoken language).
- causal listening to a voice is to listening to it semantically as perception of the handwriting of written text is to reading it.
Reduced listening- focuses on the traits of sounds itself separate from its cause and meaning.
-In reduced listening the descriptive inventory of a sound cannot be compiled in a single hearing.
- an example of reduced listening is loking at the pitch of a sound. It is independent of the sounds cause or meaning.
- reduced listening opens our ears and sharpens our power of hearing.
- These three listening modes overlap and combine in the complex and varied context of the film soundtrack.