LearnJazzPiano.com archives: Absolute Pitch

grsbmd -- 03/25/2007, 18:26:47 -- #34186

I've always had pretty good tonal memory and I've decided to learn absolute pitch.  Does anyone have any tips on learning to do this well?

ayolt -- 03/26/2007, 02:35:18 -- #34186

you can only learn relative pitch..

dalty52 -- 03/26/2007, 03:29:55 -- #34186

And, relative pitch is more important anyway.

Whacky -- 03/26/2007, 06:04:29 -- #34186

This has been discussed here at length in the past.  You may want do to a search on "perfect pitch" My take?  I have this ability but it defies logic to say that I was born knowing the 12 tone well-tempered scale tuned to A440.  I just for some reason remember pitches without really trying. I do the same thing with some numbers (sequences and such)  Neither of these things makes me a better musician (well maybe a little) Can it be learned?  I would say so.  If you focus on memorizing one pitch, then practice finding others through the use of relative pitch, I would think eventually you would be able to recognize all 12.   But what about the pitches in between the 12?? oy - How do you put a name on those?  How many of those can we humans discern??  at what point does an "A" become "A#" or "Ab" I shudder to think about it - heh heh As Dalty said, its the relationships (relative pitch) and their functions that are important, not the pitch names.  Knowing a pitch is  an "A" would not be meaningful at all, but knowing it is the 3rd or a 7th or whatever would be.

grsbmd -- 03/26/2007, 08:29:25 -- #34186

"you can only learn relative pitch.." I disagree.  I haven't always been able to remember pitches as well as I do now.  When I was younger I could never do this.  But I have no problem now producing a specific pitch out of context.  If I want to remember an A, I just think of the first note from "Stairway to Heaven".  C is "Let it Be".  D is "Heaven on their Minds" etc... I just want to be able to go the other way so I can hear a note and quickly identify it.  And I agree that relative pitch is a lot more important.  It just seems a shame to not try to develop perfect pitch as well.

Whacky -- 03/26/2007, 08:39:12 -- #34186

I think it's also a matter of awareness.  For example if you hear a sound like a car lock beep or squeaky door, try to think of what pitch it might be.  In other words don't let sounds go in one ear and out the other...

loveforJAZZ -- 03/26/2007, 11:23:15 -- #34186

Why do you say it is more important to develop relative pitch than perfect pitch? I seem to be doing perfectly fine when it comes to hearing and transcribing tunes and solos. I think it's more of an advantage to have perfect pitch than relative pitch. I developed it when I was first learning the violin. It took me a while to get me hearing correctly, but I did it. It has become a great thing for me in the last year or so. I am able to tell the exact note or notes in a chord when it comes to ear training. It gives me great practice when I try to transcribe things.

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