Absolute pitch

[Pinkgurl3166]

Posted: 7/5/05 at 7:51pm

Hello! I kind of have a weird question so im sorry if it doesn't make much sence. Well I have found out that I can find middle C. I have tested myself because I would sing what I though was middle C and then play it on the piano and it would be the same note. Anyways I have a question..is this absolute pitch? See I can find other notes too but I have to find C first in my mind as a reference and then sing in my mind to find it and then I sing it out loud. Im not sure if this is the same thing as absolute pitch because I have to think about it to sing the notes other than C. Im not sure if that made any sence but any answers you can give me would be wonderful. Oh also I have a habit of finding peoples mistakes ..like note wise with songs..its weird I just know where they have gone wrong and what the right note would be. Can most singers do this? Sorry for rambling and thanks so much for your time.
Updated On: 7/5/05 at 07:51 PM

[Aigoo]

Posted: 7/5/05 at 8:05pm

There is no such thing as "absolute" pitch.

There's relative pitch and perfect pitch. Sounds like you have relative pitch.

Relative pitch is when you sort of "know" the other pitches starting from one point, in your case, middle C. Most people go by A440, because the tuning forks play that note and orchestras tune to that note as well.

Perfect pitch is when...hm....someone plays a random note on the piano and you can name it right away. Or someone plays a tune and you can play it right back (instrumentally, not humming...)


When you said that you can point out other people's mistakes, that means you have a good sense of pitch. It's not a very rare thing, most people can tell when something's off, whether you know the tune or not.


ETA: Just kidding. Absolute pitch is another word for perfect pitch. Sorry.

ETA II: By the way, it's "sense", not "sence".

Updated On: 7/5/05 at 08:05 PM

[Hairspraydoll]

Posted: 7/5/05 at 8:06pm

There's a pretty long thread on this if you search for perfect pitch that will explain your questions. Hope that helps.

[Pinkgurl3166]

Posted: 7/5/05 at 8:10pm

Okay so must people have relative pitch thanks for all your help!

[Aigoo]

Posted: 7/5/05 at 8:13pm

Nonono...


People RARELY have perfect pitch. Some say you're just born with it, but I personally think if you take the time and sit down at the piano and memorize each pitch, you'll be able to develop it.


People uncommonly have relative pitch. I developed a sense of relative pitch because I've been tuning my violin to A440 for nearly 5 years.

MOST people have a good sense of pitch. There's no real name for this, but this is when people say, "Oh, I think that note was wrong," while they're sitting next to you in the concert. Also, if you've heard a piece before, and you know something's off, then it's just natural to think that a pitch, rhythm, or sequence was wrong.

[Taryn]

Posted: 7/5/05 at 9:01pm

I think the most common way to have perfect pitch is from playing some sort of instrument from a very young age--generally younger than five. However, it's also possible to develop it. My high school chorus teacher had perfect pitch from playing piano from such a young age and shared a few studies on it with those of us in her music theory class. Very interesting stuff, really.

[Aigoo]

Posted: 7/5/05 at 9:29pm

Oh, it's definitely possible. But even that's hard. Take violin, for example. It doesn't really cover as many notes as you would like in the earlier stages that you learn it. And I think that at such a young age, you wouldn't be able to retain the tone of the pitch AND the note name as well. From tuning to A440 so often, I've come to the point where I can basically just hum an A (it's also the note where I break into my "mix" belt, so it makes it even easier to identify).

The easiest way, of course, is to simply be born with perfect pitch and relentlessly train it. But I've heard even it's useful-ness is almost as good as the amount of cons that come along with it (though I can't imagine why, I'd LOVE to have perfect pitch).

[Taryn]

Posted: 7/5/05 at 9:42pm

No, Aigoo, I meant that studying music from a very young age might develop perfect pitch naturally, not consciously.

http://perfectpitch.ucsf.edu/ppstudy.html

Here's an interesting, ongoing study of perfect pitch by the University of California at San Francisco. It does suggest the necessity of a genetic cause of perfect pitch.

http://www.dfan.org/pitch.html

Here's a little, informative site by a guy with perfect pitch. I find it interesting because in my mind it's like "untrained" perfect pitch. My teacher had sickeningly well-trained perfect pitch where she could tell the difference between the different frequencies and such. But that came of training of an ability she already had.

[Aigoo]

Posted: 7/5/05 at 9:43pm

Thanks Taryn. I'll check that out after "I Want To Be A Hilton".