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Re: Perfect Pitch

Author: annev
Date: 2011-10-25 23:49

My experience is pretty similar to Helen's. I made my comments at the end of the last thread (A clarinet discrimination). It takes playing the instrument to set the pitch associations. Daniel Levithin in his book, "This is your brain on music" has a discussion of the concept of perfect pitch. I read it some time ago but I seem to remember that the studies suggest that perfect pitch is a learned skill, however it involves some genetic predisposition as well since it does seem to run in families. The idea of it being a learned skill would also fit with Helen's comments that it can get rusty without regular use.

Perfect pitch doesn't make some one a good musician. It's just a tool, and pitch is only one of the many facets that are involved in making music. Some people have a great sense of rhythm, some easily create harmonies, some are great sight-readers - our brains are all wired differently.

I play/sing in various community groups. Most of the time, if intonation is an issue, I can park it somewhere else in my mind. It's like having a conversation in a crowded room - I just focus on the tones that are pleasing. Relative pitch is always more important then true pitch. Mostly I appreciate that we are all together to create music and find joy in that - it's a gift.

Post Edited (2011-10-26 02:25)

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Perfect Pitch new

kdk

2011-10-25 18:55