Pitch Perfect, Do I have perfect pitch? Options

[Tomosiano]

I have an increasing suspicion that I might have perfect pitch.. I think it needs developing and I don't know how to do it. I might be completely mistaken, but this weekend I tested myself on my scales and 8 times out of 10 I could play a random root note anywhere, and after some thought, correctly play the rest of the scale first time, without looking once. I wasn't 'feeling' for the keys either, it was instinctive.

I'm 23, and never considered the possibility before, so I hope its not too late to develop the skill. (If I have it at all) Does anybody have any ideas...?

[Deborah]

If you really want to check whether or not you have perfect pitch, get someone else to play a note, any note, and then see if you can identify which note it is just through hearing it, i.e. if someone plays a C#, and you, with your back to the piano, can correctly identify it as such, then yes, you may have perfect pitch. Also, challenge yourself to sing a given note, then check it against the piano - if you're consistently correct, this is another indication that you may have perfect pitch.

It's a great party trick, and is as much to do with pitch memory as anything else.

Be warned, perfect pitch can be a curse as well as a blessing. It's a great help with some aural tests, but it'll be agony if you're playing on an out of tune instrument. I know some people with perfect pitch who have great difficulty transposing at sight, and then there's the whole problem of transposing instruments...

[YetAnotherPianist]

There's an online perfect pitch test here:

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

If you come out with a score of 'AP1' you have perfect pitch (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif).

[Tess]

Perfect pitch is a curse if you sing in church every Sunday! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

[katyjay]

I came out with a score of AP1 from that test, but I'm not convinced I do have perfect pitch.....

For example on Monday at choir, our musical director decided to move two of the unaccompanied carols up a semitone each. It threw me at first, because they didn't sound right, but it took me a few notes each time to work out what he'd done - after which I was fine, as I just mentally transposed the lot.

If I'd had perfect pitch, I suspect I wouldn't have been as confused at the start because I'd have been able to work out straight away that it was a semitone up, rather than just not sounding "right".

Perfect pitch (or good relative pitch and a good memory, which is what I have (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) ) can be a nuisance in situations like these.

My difficulties with pitch are probably exacerbated by the fact I grew up in a household which had a piano which was made a tone and a quarter flat (and the tuner said couldn't be brought any nearer to concert pitch). So I can often identify notes but get the "labels" wrong (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif) .

By the way, did anyone else find that the "pure" tones were harder to identify than the "piano notes"?

Cheers

Katyjay

[elmo]

At uni, one of my friends is convinced I have perfect pitch, coz I could sight sing perfectly in choir. I don't have perfect pitch, but I must have relative pitch, coz I can tune my flute to my piano without playing anything on the piano, play things by ear and tell you within 3 notes where a note is if you play it to me. Haven't really tested this theory properly, and have only ever been able to do it when I've been caught off guard and my friend's been trying to test me! As soon as I realise what she's doing, I stop!

[AshleighM]

I did the test and I certainly do not have perfect pitch! hehe I find aural really easy though, I wonder why??

Ash

[Tomosiano]

I know most people can train their ear to a certain threshold, but only few are born with the perfect pitch ability. But I have not been playing long enough to learn what the notes sound like to correctly identify them. With more training I think I could do very well.

Does perfect pitch give you the ability to identify a note by comparison in your head? Because currently the way I associate is by knowing the starting notes of a few songs, then when I hear an individual note I immediately associate it with a song in my memory that starts with that note, then I can get it. Just from one note.

I defintely have an audio based memory. My memory is almost entirely focused on music. I can barely find my way out of a one way street or know what day it is. But, when it comes to anything audible, it's seems to be the only time I can remember and associate properly. I annoy all my friends by telling them what a song is from just the starting drum beat or something equally basic. They all say 'how the *** did you guess that' No idea, I just have an ear that can pick up minute detail.

[Gae]

I read somewhere that apparently everyone is born with the potential for perfect pitch but if it is'nt developed and encouraged in the first few years of childhood, a crucial stage in its development, the ability is eventually lost and impossible to regain at an older age. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif)

Gae

[frumpybabes]

Interesting topic. My 8 year old son has perfect pitch. When he started the piano at 5 I didnt notice it, last year I suspected he may have relative pitch. Then when he started cello it was very obvious he had perfect pitch. If the open strings where slightly out due to my relative pitch tuning without a piano. He would play all the fingered notes in tune and you would suspect nothing was wrong until he played an open string.
He knows now that his perfect pitch is something special but he has also realised it can be a pain when you listen to your brother play the trumpet. Hasnt quite got the idea of transposition yet and so they argue alot what notes the trumpeter is playing.

I am not sure if you can encourage them in early childhood. I taught both my children the same but on different instruments. Yet only one has perfect pitch and the other is absolutely terrible on the aural side of the things. If only they were balanced more. Like to know how we can develop perfect pitch. Any ideas might help no.3 son.

[chocolatedog]

I came out with a score of AP1 from that test, but I'm not convinced I do have perfect pitch.....

For example on Monday at choir, our musical director decided to move two of the unaccompanied carols up a semitone each. It threw me at first, because they didn't sound right, but it took me a few notes each time to work out what he'd done - after which I was fine, as I just mentally transposed the lot.

If I'd had perfect pitch, I suspect I wouldn't have been as confused at the start because I'd have been able to work out straight away that it was a semitone up, rather than just not sounding "right".

Perfect pitch (or good relative pitch and a good memory, which is what I have (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) ) can be a nuisance in situations like these.

My difficulties with pitch are probably exacerbated by the fact I grew up in a household which had a piano which was made a tone and a quarter flat (and the tuner said couldn't be brought any nearer to concert pitch). So I can often identify notes but get the "labels" wrong (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif) .

By the way, did anyone else find that the "pure" tones were harder to identify than the "piano notes"?

Cheers

Katyjay

Yes I remember at O level when we had to do sight-singing, and our teacher transposed the start note down as the example maybe went too high for some of us to comfortably sing. I used to have real problems as I could hear the true pitch just by looking at the note, but not cope as easily trying to transpose it at the same time as I could hear what it should be but I was obviously having to sing the 'wrong' note. (If that makes sense!!!) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif)

[YetAnotherPianist]

Yes I remember at O level when we had to do sight-singing, and our teacher transposed the start note down as the example maybe went too high for some of us to comfortably sing. I used to have real problems as I could hear the true pitch just by looking at the note, but not cope as easily trying to transpose it at the same time as I could hear what it should be but I was obviously having to sing the 'wrong' note. (If that makes sense!!!) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif)

It makes perfect sense. I had a music teacher who tried a similar trick in a listening test: a note was given on a staff, and was played along with another note on a recording; one then had to draw in the second note. Knowing I was taking the test, he deliberately played a starting note other than the one on page; I had to compensate by listening to the interval between both notes, and drawing a second note at the appropriate interval above the first (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif).

I agree with Deborah's sentiment that, broadly, it's a party trick; although I have found it useful for picking up what other players are playing in chamber music should I lose my place.

[janexxx]

Not having perfect pitch....I feel like a muggle among wizards (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif)

[andante_in_c]

Not having perfect pitch....I feel like a muggle among wizards (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif)

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Haven't dared try the test myself (although I know I haven't got perfect pitch).

[janexxx]

Not having perfect pitch....I feel like a muggle among wizards (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif)

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Haven't dared try the test myself (although I know I haven't got perfect pitch).

I just did the test and I admit to guessing. I should at least have got 1/12 right by the law of averages!!!
Katyjay if you got AP1 you MUST have perfect pitch, that was hard. I got AP5 and my scores were:
pure tone 7.25, piano tone 8.25 which on the graph puts me well down in the bottom quadrant.

I think I might have fairly decent relative pitch, but with no clue as to the starting note I was all at sea to start with. Even then I would need more than 3 seconds between each one to "sing" the interval and work it out. I did however get a *feeling* that some tones were more familiar to me and that some were "black" notes (as on a piano). I would guess that the more familiar sounding ones would be D,G and A, and with more time to think than 3 seconds between each tone I might have been able to work these out just from remembering tuning my fiddle.

Remaining a muggle here!