Perfect Pitch

CrusaderFrank

Diamond Member
May 20, 2009
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All I can say is my life would have taken a whole other direction if I wasn't a tone deaf weasel.

 
He is wrong that perfect pitch is equal to being able to label the key name as played. Perfect pitch is able to hear a note and being able to recreate it perfectly on key. There are those with perfect pitch that can’t read a note of music on paper. That was a truly bad example for his belief.
 
He is wrong that perfect pitch is equal to being able to label the key name as played. Perfect pitch is able to hear a note and being able to recreate it perfectly on key. There are those with perfect pitch that can’t read a note of music on paper. That was a truly bad example for his belief.

No, that's intonation. Matching pitch. That's not what musicians mean when they say "perfect pitch". Perfect pitch is described in the video.
 
He is wrong that perfect pitch is equal to being able to label the key name as played. Perfect pitch is able to hear a note and being able to recreate it perfectly on key. There are those with perfect pitch that can’t read a note of music on paper. That was a truly bad example for his belief.
None of The Beatles could read or write a note of music
 
He is wrong that perfect pitch is equal to being able to label the key name as played. Perfect pitch is able to hear a note and being able to recreate it perfectly on key. There are those with perfect pitch that can’t read a note of music on paper. That was a truly bad example for his belief.
You are describing relative pitch or "playing by ear". It's pretty common for musicians to have this skill. Perfect pitch is being able to identify the key of a song just by hearing it or identify the exact notes of a chord by hearing it.
 
He is wrong that perfect pitch is equal to being able to label the key name as played. Perfect pitch is able to hear a note and being able to recreate it perfectly on key. There are those with perfect pitch that can’t read a note of music on paper. That was a truly bad example for his belief.
You are describing relative pitch or "playing by ear". It's pretty common for musicians to have this skill. Perfect pitch is being able to identify the key of a song just by hearing it or identify the exact notes of a chord by hearing it.

Relative pitch is being able to find any other note on the scale from a reference note. It's a "sight-singing" skill--and does involve hearing by ear, but also a little more than that. Not just, say, the chord progressions normally found in pop music but actual melody lines and etc.
 
He is wrong that perfect pitch is equal to being able to label the key name as played. Perfect pitch is able to hear a note and being able to recreate it perfectly on key. There are those with perfect pitch that can’t read a note of music on paper. That was a truly bad example for his belief.
None of The Beatles could read or write a note of music

A lot of musicians can't--rock and pop musicians. I tell my young students that when you can read music and "play by ear", you have the best of both worlds. I hope they listen--sometimes I think it's a bunch of blah blah. Ha
 
He is wrong that perfect pitch is equal to being able to label the key name as played. Perfect pitch is able to hear a note and being able to recreate it perfectly on key. There are those with perfect pitch that can’t read a note of music on paper. That was a truly bad example for his belief.
You are describing relative pitch or "playing by ear". It's pretty common for musicians to have this skill. Perfect pitch is being able to identify the key of a song just by hearing it or identify the exact notes of a chord by hearing it.

Relative pitch is being able to find any other note on the scale from a reference note. It's a "sight-singing" skill--and does involve hearing by ear, but also a little more than that. Not just, say, the chord progressions normally found in pop music but actual melody lines and etc.
I am a musician, I can read, write and play by ear. I have good relative pitch but do not have perfect pitch. Relative pitch definitely involves hearing by ear. I hear a song and go over to the piano and within a couple of notes I can play the melody and if it's not too complicated I can put chords to it. That is relative pitch.
 
My Great-Grandpappy had it. I am not that fortunate, AFAIK. I don't mess with music enough to know.

Tbh, I think it's all about tone memory.

You remember a tone and use relative pitch from there. I just tested myself with a tuning fork and was just about dead nuts on A-440.

One has to think these things in order for them to happen. Now as for doing a Mixolydian mode off that A-440? Not happening for me. With some practice, perhaps..

Like I said, I don't mess with music that much.

I can't even do a C-major scale from that A right now. I can do that A though.

With the right relative-pitch skills, one could work it all out.
 
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He is wrong that perfect pitch is equal to being able to label the key name as played. Perfect pitch is able to hear a note and being able to recreate it perfectly on key. There are those with perfect pitch that can’t read a note of music on paper. That was a truly bad example for his belief.
None of The Beatles could read or write a note of music
I find that hard to believe.
 
He is wrong that perfect pitch is equal to being able to label the key name as played. Perfect pitch is able to hear a note and being able to recreate it perfectly on key. There are those with perfect pitch that can’t read a note of music on paper. That was a truly bad example for his belief.

No, that's intonation. Matching pitch. That's not what musicians mean when they say "perfect pitch". Perfect pitch is described in the video.
Honey, I play and sing by ear.
 
He is wrong that perfect pitch is equal to being able to label the key name as played. Perfect pitch is able to hear a note and being able to recreate it perfectly on key. There are those with perfect pitch that can’t read a note of music on paper. That was a truly bad example for his belief.

No, that's intonation. Matching pitch. That's not what musicians mean when they say "perfect pitch". Perfect pitch is described in the video.
Honey, I play by ear.

K. So do I. That's still not perfect pitch. ETA: Even "singing by ear" is not perfect pitch. Perfect pitch is someone says, "Sing me a b-flat above middle C", and you can sing it out of the clear blue sky. IOW all the pitches are perfectly in your head all the time. Very few people can do this--it's not just "singing in tune", or being able to read notes and reproduce them.
 
Which is what I do, but don’t couldn’t tell you the note most of the time.

I had a piano teacher that almost ruined my gift, by wanting to force me to learn the named keys and play old McDonald, when I could sit down and recreate most songs I heard by ear, at age 5. She offered them free due to my gift. Fortunately, my parents saw my frustration, and quit my lessons. I also compose for myself by creating a song in my head then sit down and play it.
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He is wrong that perfect pitch is equal to being able to label the key name as played. Perfect pitch is able to hear a note and being able to recreate it perfectly on key. There are those with perfect pitch that can’t read a note of music on paper. That was a truly bad example for his belief.
You are describing relative pitch or "playing by ear". It's pretty common for musicians to have this skill. Perfect pitch is being able to identify the key of a song just by hearing it or identify the exact notes of a chord by hearing it.
 
Singing solo on pitch without a prompt or music playing, when asked for a particular song isn’t perfect pitch?
He is wrong that perfect pitch is equal to being able to label the key name as played. Perfect pitch is able to hear a note and being able to recreate it perfectly on key. There are those with perfect pitch that can’t read a note of music on paper. That was a truly bad example for his belief.

No, that's intonation. Matching pitch. That's not what musicians mean when they say "perfect pitch". Perfect pitch is described in the video.
Honey, I play by ear.

K. So do I. That's still not perfect pitch. ETA: Even "singing by ear" is not perfect pitch. Perfect pitch is someone says, "Sing me a b-flat above middle C", and you can sing it out of the clear blue sky. IOW all the pitches are perfectly in your head all the time. Very few people can do this--it's not just "singing in tune", or being able to read notes and reproduce them.
 
Singing solo on pitch without a prompt or music playing, when asked for a particular song isn’t perfect pitch?
He is wrong that perfect pitch is equal to being able to label the key name as played. Perfect pitch is able to hear a note and being able to recreate it perfectly on key. There are those with perfect pitch that can’t read a note of music on paper. That was a truly bad example for his belief.

No, that's intonation. Matching pitch. That's not what musicians mean when they say "perfect pitch". Perfect pitch is described in the video.
Honey, I play by ear.

K. So do I. That's still not perfect pitch. ETA: Even "singing by ear" is not perfect pitch. Perfect pitch is someone says, "Sing me a b-flat above middle C", and you can sing it out of the clear blue sky. IOW all the pitches are perfectly in your head all the time. Very few people can do this--it's not just "singing in tune", or being able to read notes and reproduce them.

No. Like I said, that's good intonation, that's all. Even if you remember the key over and over--and hit it close, that could be put down to muscle memory, most likely. But at any rate, there's no way to test perfect pitch if you can't name the notes. You're hearing notes in your head--all musicians do this. You can't reproduce music without internal hearing. But whether you're hearing notes that are absolute pitches externally, we cannot know if you can't name them.

Lots and lots of people do not actually know what perfect pitch is. To give you another idea, we had a gal in my college choir with perfect pitch. Director did not need a pitch pipe. He would turn to her and say "E flat" and she would sing one. Pulled from the clear blue sky.
 
Ok, I hear what you are saying, but I still disagree that someone can’t have perfect pitch without knowing the name of the key. If they can hear it, perfectly reproduce it, either by singing, or hitting the note on a piano, I say that is perfect pitch, despite what some may say-

Absolute pitch
Absolute pitch, widely referred to as perfect pitch, is a rare auditory phenomenon characterized by the ability of a person to identify or re-create a given musical note without the benefit of a reference tone.


Singing solo on pitch without a prompt or music playing, when asked for a particular song isn’t perfect pitch?
He is wrong that perfect pitch is equal to being able to label the key name as played. Perfect pitch is able to hear a note and being able to recreate it perfectly on key. There are those with perfect pitch that can’t read a note of music on paper. That was a truly bad example for his belief.

No, that's intonation. Matching pitch. That's not what musicians mean when they say "perfect pitch". Perfect pitch is described in the video.
Honey, I play by ear.

K. So do I. That's still not perfect pitch. ETA: Even "singing by ear" is not perfect pitch. Perfect pitch is someone says, "Sing me a b-flat above middle C", and you can sing it out of the clear blue sky. IOW all the pitches are perfectly in your head all the time. Very few people can do this--it's not just "singing in tune", or being able to read notes and reproduce them.

No. Like I said, that's good intonation, that's all. Even if you remember the key over and over--and hit it close, that could be put down to muscle memory, most likely. But at any rate, there's no way to test perfect pitch if you can't name the notes. You're hearing notes in your head--all musicians do this. You can't reproduce music without internal hearing. But whether you're hearing notes and are absolute pitches externally, we cannot know if you can't name them externally.

Lots and lots of people do not actually know what perfect pitch is. To give you another idea, we had a gal in my college choir with perfect pitch. Director did not need a pitch pipe. He would turn to her and say "E flat" and she would sing one. Pulled from the clear blue sky.
 
He is wrong that perfect pitch is equal to being able to label the key name as played. Perfect pitch is able to hear a note and being able to recreate it perfectly on key. There are those with perfect pitch that can’t read a note of music on paper. That was a truly bad example for his belief.
None of The Beatles could read or write a note of music
For whatever reason, some don’t understand.
 
Ok, I hear what you are saying, but I still disagree that someone can’t have perfect pitch without knowing the name of the key. If they can hear it, perfectly reproduce it, either by singing, or hitting the note on a piano, I say that is perfect pitch, despite what some may say-

Absolute pitch
Absolute pitch, widely referred to as perfect pitch, is a rare auditory phenomenon characterized by the ability of a person to identify or re-create a given musical note without the benefit of a reference tone.


Singing solo on pitch without a prompt or music playing, when asked for a particular song isn’t perfect pitch?
No, that's intonation. Matching pitch. That's not what musicians mean when they say "perfect pitch". Perfect pitch is described in the video.
Honey, I play by ear.

K. So do I. That's still not perfect pitch. ETA: Even "singing by ear" is not perfect pitch. Perfect pitch is someone says, "Sing me a b-flat above middle C", and you can sing it out of the clear blue sky. IOW all the pitches are perfectly in your head all the time. Very few people can do this--it's not just "singing in tune", or being able to read notes and reproduce them.

No. Like I said, that's good intonation, that's all. Even if you remember the key over and over--and hit it close, that could be put down to muscle memory, most likely. But at any rate, there's no way to test perfect pitch if you can't name the notes. You're hearing notes in your head--all musicians do this. You can't reproduce music without internal hearing. But whether you're hearing notes and are absolute pitches externally, we cannot know if you can't name them externally.

Lots and lots of people do not actually know what perfect pitch is. To give you another idea, we had a gal in my college choir with perfect pitch. Director did not need a pitch pipe. He would turn to her and say "E flat" and she would sing one. Pulled from the clear blue sky.

Hearing and reproducing sound faithfully is matching pitch, particularly with singing. That's foundational. I'm a music teacher and frankly, that's what we test our first graders on....matching pitch with the singing voice. Can they all do it, not by a long shot. But it's not a rare skill. If you cannot match pitch with your singing voice....well, you are pretty lacking as a musician. It's not anything like perfect pitch.

I suppose if someone can go to the piano and, without fail, play the song in the exact same key the song was heard in with every note intact, that person might have perfect pitch. That's not generally what people do when they "play by ear", though. Generally, they hear the tune, understand the chord structure, and transpose it to whatever key. And that's a great skill too, by the way.

Again, most people who claim perfect pitch don't have it--it's actually genetic, scientists think, and occurs in less than 1 in a thousand people. But you can be a cracker jack musician without it.
 
He is wrong that perfect pitch is equal to being able to label the key name as played. Perfect pitch is able to hear a note and being able to recreate it perfectly on key. There are those with perfect pitch that can’t read a note of music on paper. That was a truly bad example for his belief.
None of The Beatles could read or write a note of music

Paul McCartney admits he and the Beatles can’t read or write music

from Paul McCartney admits he and the Beatles can’t read or write music
 
He is wrong that perfect pitch is equal to being able to label the key name as played. Perfect pitch is able to hear a note and being able to recreate it perfectly on key. There are those with perfect pitch that can’t read a note of music on paper. That was a truly bad example for his belief.

No, that's intonation. Matching pitch. That's not what musicians mean when they say "perfect pitch". Perfect pitch is described in the video.
per·fect pitch
/pərˈfekt piCH/
noun
  1. the ability to recognize the pitch of a note or to produce any given note; a sense of absolute pitch.
 

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