Perfect Pitch People

[Cheez]

Able to figure out chords and the ability to tune is not perfect pitch. Perfect pitch is when someone plays a note (say Ab), and you can tell that it's Ab. And you can tell for every single note of the scale without prompting.

But really, if you can figure out chords and tune well, it's all you need.

 

[theironfreak]

haha... another thing that is rather trivial is... are there perfect pitch ppl out there who can sightread? as in piano or whatever. like i can't sightread for NUTS

 

[tim098]

i think one think that should be noted is that although having perfect pitch is extremely useful for quick on-the-spot improvisation, a person with a 100% perfect ear but no sense of rhythm is not useful at all either.

I ve heard that although pitching (maybe up to the relative level) can be trained, the sense of rhythm is something that cant be trained. How true is this? Heh cheez u seem to be the bomb on topics like these

 

[Cheez]

Sense of rhythm certainly can be trained. Some people has it naturally. For others, more effort is needed. But it can certainly be trained. My son has no sense of rhythm when he started piano. I thought it was a gone case. But I'm seeing improvement very quickly over time. He's still very young, so I guess the learning is also faster.

The only thing that may be the most difficult to train are to get those who are tone-deaf to sing in tune.

As for sight-reading, many can do it. Most people with perfect pitch I know play classical (initially- of course, many branched out to other things...) - and we can certainly sight-read. Also an important skill.

Of all the skills of a musician, I would put perfect pitch right at the bottom. I would put passion first, although it is not a skill. A person may be skillful in an instrument, but if lack passion, then he/she has nothing. A person who's passionate but can only play 3 chords on his/her guitar would have achieved more (in my books) - because he/she enjoys what he/she is doing. That's all that matters in the end of the day.

 

[tim098]

The only thing that may be the most difficult to train are to get those who are tone-deaf to sing in tune.

heh i'd add frustrating to that too. Great post btw

 

[pianomankris]

Perfect pitch is a strange concept, since even the notes themselves have changed e.g. A above middle C (A440) wasn't 440Hz in Mozart's day...

Then there is the problem of equal temperament....

So someone with 'perfect pitch' in Mozart/Bach's time would hear the notes differently from someone today who has perfect pitch....

But equal temperament should be discussed here, as it is quite important to the issue.

 

[empihsrow]

I think the most important thing to note about perfect pitch is the person has the ability to figure out the key the note is in.

That's not something everyone can do.

 

[theironfreak]

btw... what the heck is this equal temperment thingy? i've heard this term but i really dunno what it means

 

[dir]

btw... what the heck is this equal temperment thingy? i've heard this term but i really dunno what it means

Equal temperament - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I got a headache trying to read and understand all that.

 

[Cheez]

Haha! That was a really heavy explanation from wiki!

Actually, even in the unequal temperament world in the past, a perfect pitcher's hearing basically just adjust. The tonal "colour" of each note may not be the same as that of today's equal tempered notes. But it's just a matter of adjustment.

Besides temperament, there's always those who say we perfect pitcher will go crazy if somebody is not tuned to 440. That is also not correct. Orchestras tune anywhere from 338 to 443 Hz, depending on which part of the world they are in. The ears basically just adjust again. However in today's equal tempered world, when a player plays just one note out of tune, it does get extremely irritating...

 

[pf]

Haha....I checked up wiki as well. Horrific formula. But it doesn't seem to make much difference to me if I know it or not.

Can someone please enlighten me. =)

 

[pinkbox]

i wish i have perfect pitch.

 

[theironfreak]

alright... i'm not even gonna bother reading that wiki page... more complicated than i thought.

 

[hotmetal]

lmao this post seems really narcissistic to me haha no offence :mrgreen:

 

[Raistmar]

Just a question for cheese, does everyone who acquired that skill, see the same colour for a particular note? Like for example, I see the e note as yellow in colour will you see it as yellow too? If so, what are the designated colours for every note?

 

[Against The Enemy]

Just a question for cheese, does everyone who acquired that skill, see the same colour for a particular note? Like for example, I see the e note as yellow in colour will you see it as yellow too? If so, what are the designated colours for every note?

i think its not as in visual as in what's the unique characteristic of the note...

 

[DoubleBlade]

But really, if you can figure out chords and tune well, it's all you need.

Yeah agree with that, since most of the SOFTies here jam with bands, that is all you would need.

 

[fgl]

haha yeah it's like how i tune my guitar because i memorised the E note.

HEY .... ME TOO .. wah U & I have so much in common .. its scary lah

 

[ShyamRaj]

Roman Tarasov of Fire Brands. Worked with him before and the dude has perfect pitch in hearing . You could play any key/chord on the piano or guitar and he'll tell u what it is just by hearing it . It obviously applies to tuning his guitar and stuff .. maybe its coz he was a classically trained viola player ..

 

[Ahjon]

i think the only people borned with perfect pitch are autistic people.
no offence though.
but the degree of their perfect pitch is scary.
a documentary on national geographic showed a dude who is blind and autistic, he was on a train and when the train changed gear he told his manager that the pitch shift was from G maj to an A min.
Scary or wad.

God is fair i believe. when he take smth away from you, he gives you another.

Otherwise i believe the rest are trained to be perfect pitch.