question

[Lysha]

how do u know if you have perfectpitch?

[key-wiz]

if i play something and you can tell me what key im in

[vwebster]

Excellent question

I found this on a site. http://www.dfan.org/pitch.html



[It was edited for clarity.]

What is absolute pitch?

Having absolute pitch means that you can hear a note and tell and know that it's a G, or an E flat, or whatever.

People who can identify pitch seem to fall into two categories.

One consists of people who have just always had the ability. They all started playing musical instruments while very young (5 years old or younger).

They hear a note and Just Know what it is.

The other category consists of people who have consciously acquired the ability at a later age.

They tend to identify pitch by having one or two reference pitches in their head (typically an open string on a violin, or something).

When they hear a pitch, they can compare it to the reference pitch, see what the interval between the two pitches is, and calculate the pitch that they heard from that.

It seems to be much more of a conscious thing, though people can become pretty quick at it.

[kadman92]

even further than that.    An individual gifted with perfect pitch can hear a note and be able to identify that note.  Mozart had perfect pitch, there was a blind boy years ago that was like 3 years old at the time.  He could do nearly the same thing as Mozart.  He could listen to something and immediately play what he just heard on the piano.  Exactly the same key note for note.

That would be both perfect pitch and photographic memory... LOL

[Lysha]

thanx 4 the help

[Cm9_Ed]

They tend to identify pitch by having one or two reference pitches in their head (typically an open string on a violin, or something).

When they hear a pitch, they can compare it to the reference pitch, see what the interval between the two pitches is, and calculate the pitch that they heard from that

This is called "relative pitch". Most musicians and singers have this type. It isn't considered perfect pitch because they have to relate a tone to another tone to descover the note. My instructor in college has perfect pitch. He told me that it came natural to him. He could tell what tones and pitches he heard because the tones would make colors in his head. So he can hear and distinguish tones like someone can distinguish different colors.

[vwebster]

My instructor in college has perfect pitch. He told me that it came natural to him. He could tell what tones and pitches he heard because the tones would make colors in his head. So he can hear and distinguish tones like someone can distinguish different colors.

Gee, now that's cool

[bexican]

One of the professors at my college has the same thing.  He said he will hear the music and he sees colors when he hears it and knows what key it is.  He said Ab sounds red!!

There is also a friend of mine who had incredible pitch, he could hear a run and would be able to tell you how far apart each note was....he had the most aweful timing you ever heard though.