There are ways that I'm different from most people. I mentioned earlier that I have a cousin who has perfect pitch. That's a very distinct difference and there is a genetic basis for it.
— frank
Happens I'm about 3 weeks into an uncontrolled experiment wherein the subject (myself) attempts to acquire absolute pitch. I'm still hopeful of refuting your innatist aspersion, albeit unscientifically.
I aspire also (perhaps) to a Mary's Room type revelation: an additional dimension to my auditory perception. E.g. a 'global' quality attaching to the pitch of a sound, independent of its local relations to other, proximate sound-events (relative pitch). The kind of quality that apparently enables the possessors of absolute pitch to associate different keys with different moods etc.
I would be keen to share the unscientific data with any other interested parties (in a thread), especially if they were minded to share their own? E.g. recollection of their previous attempts, or description of attempts started now, or soon.
Absent that demand, I'll update this (single) post. So WTS if interested... — bongo fury
Cool. Yes, I'm interested. My cousin has a genetic anomaly that's known to be associated with perfect pitch. She's always had it. She started playing piano at 3 years from watching her mother play.
But it's true that jazz musicians demonstrate the ability to perceive key transitions that normal people can't. Supposedly there is a study. I could find if you need it. — frank
Exceptionally, that is, such a pattern as Three Blind Mice might be first appreciated as properly obtaining only in a particular key (probably starting at a particular place on a particular instrument), and any transpositions of it counted only and specifically (by both parent and infant) as such: as transpositions of the original pattern. — bongo fury
I have next to no sense of time. I was blown away when I found out that other people do. — frank
Are there enthusiasts? — bongo fury
He said he could stack them up to around 3 hours after which his accuracy would fall off. — frank
I become immersed in a fake world and my emotions signify that part of me believes in what's happening. — frank
Was it about enduring a daily grind? Punctuating the passage of time with commercial breaks, maybe? Or how did he need not to rely on a clock? — bongo fury
Yeah, I learned that other people see the plot twists coming a mile off. Sometimes you're meant to, as well, but I'm just not watching in that way. D'oh. — bongo fury
I had* an absolute pitch as a kid, before any musical training. I don't remember how my first music teacher diagnosed it (since of course I didn't know notes and couldn't yet play any instrument at five), but there must be some standard tests. — SophistiCat
When she was practicing for a college entrance exam, she even had me drill her on identifying notes, intervals and chords. She could recognize notes pretty well, but only after hearing a reference note or chord. She never acquired an absolute pitch. — SophistiCat
identifying notes, intervals and chords. — SophistiCat
She could recognize notes pretty well, but only after hearing a reference note or chord. — SophistiCat
She never acquired an absolute pitch. — SophistiCat
But in time I may retain the memory of the melody, while forgetting the original pitch. — SophistiCat
I suppose piano teachers, especially, are always aware of the issue when engaging a young child. Because it may be the critical stage of development. But also because a keyboard is discussed as a diagram of the pitch dimension? — bongo fury
Why intervals? Just to help find the notes? Or is it the other way round? — bongo fury
Intervals have a distinctive sound to them that has to do with the size of the interval rather than the pitch — SophistiCat
(that is with modern equal temperament). — SophistiCat
Once you learn what each interval is called (minor third, perfect fifth, etc.), you can learn to identify them by hearing, regardless of the pitch. — SophistiCat
Such basic music theory and ear training are part of a classical musician's training. — SophistiCat
She could recognize notes pretty well, but only after hearing a reference note or chord. She never acquired an absolute pitch. — SophistiCat
I wouldn't overstate the importance of pitch recognition. I don't know if it's much more than a minor convenience for a musician or a party trick. — SophistiCat
I am embarked on a mission to try and acquire the musical version of the enhancement. Anyone with an interest in such attempts, active or theoretical, current or lapsed, is welcome to share their observations here. — bongo fury
But you wouldn't want to understate the importance (for composing and improvising, at least) of developing the ability to play by ear, would you? Isn't that what the ear training is for? — bongo fury
I would think that perfect pitch could be acquired by exercising the extremes of your vocal range — Metaphysician Undercover
I have an affinity for songs in a key of D, and can often recognize them as playing at the extent of my vocal range. — Metaphysician Undercover
Once you can produce a specific note on demand, the rest is a matter of learning the intervals, musical training. — Metaphysician Undercover
Playing by ear does not really require perfect pitch because the same tune can be played by ear in any pitch. — Metaphysician Undercover
Ah but this very common claim of singers has always bemused me. Is there an assumption that melodies are generally bounded above and below by a key (or "home") note? (E.g. that the lowest and highest notes of a melody in D are probably a D and a higher D?) Or by some other particular step in the scale, a certain distance from home? Otherwise, how on earth is the choice of key supposed to determine how comfortably your range will contain both of the (and any) melody's bounds? — bongo fury
In any case, D is the only key that I can get two full octaves, and this is why I like it. — Metaphysician Undercover
This is where perfect pitch and knowing your vocal range, is very helpful. to make the quick decision required of what pitch to start the song on. It's convenient for Christmas carolers to have someone with perfect pitch for the lead in. — Metaphysician Undercover
I can't agree there. Your two-octave vocal range is between one D and another D, yes. (Let's suppose.) But a melody spanning all or most of this range is no more likely to be in the key of D than in any other one of the 12 available keys. It might be, for example, Danny Boy, which (if I recall it accurately) you could sing only in G (starting on your low D) or in Ab or A or Bb. But not D. So your vocal range can't determine a preferred key or keys, without reference to a particular melody. You can't say, in general, "the key of D is best suited to my range". — bongo fury
When there are two full octaves there are three distinct tonic notes, just like there are two tonic notes in one octave. This provides the composer with more opportunity for the approach to the resolving note. — Metaphysician Undercover
I imagine I am standing in a circular dancehall, drapes around the walls obscuring the whereabouts of doors and other markers; I then direct people (my imaginary friends) to line up with me and dance, facing a particular way; then I judge my degree of satisfaction that I am facing North, maybe adjust my orientation accordingly, dance a little more, etc.... then I consult a pocket compass to evaluate my various adjustments. Progress uncertain... shall update here. Hope others will too. — bongo fury
Roughly a semitone too high. — bongo fury
Two semitones too high — bongo fury
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