A question for anyone who knows about this kind of thing - is there such a thing as selective deafness? As in, being able to hear some things absolutely fine but having problems with other things?

I say this because I've always thought my hearing was a bit dodgy. I find it really hard to work out what people are saying if there's any kind of background noise - talking on the phone in a loud room or place is just pointless, and I really struggle to hear what people are saying when out at a gig or club. Just got a job in a pub, too, and when there's a lot of noise and music going on I have to ask people three or four times to repeat their drinks order before I can work out what they're saying. Friends have said I have shit hearing when it comes to hearing what people say, too, because they have to repeat themselves so often.

Conversely, though, I seem to have really excellent hearing when it comes to picking apart the different parts of songs - I can pick apart strum patterns, instruments, sometimes notes, by ear. I might be sitting in a crowded bar and whilst I can't hear what the people around me are saying very well I'm usually the first one to work out what song's just come on over the hubbub.

Explanation, please? Discuss your own hearing issues here if you'd like.