Perfect pitch is the ability to hear a tone and know what note it is.

According to some, only 5% of the population possess it, and it usually manifests itself at a very young age.

Most musicians have *relative* pitch, which is the ability to distinguish a note or set of notes in relation to another note or set of notes.

Admittedly, these definitions are simplistic, but how important is perfect pitch to becoming a good musician?

Do all *great* musicians have it?

Perfect pitch is probably a hindrance, considering that most musicians don't play in perfect pitch and one needs to tune according to them -- if one is playing in a group -- and not an ideal perfect note.

Also, notes are relative to each other and actually change according to what key you're playing in. For instance...I play violin...an E flat (or any other note) is played at a slightly different spot on the fingerboard, depending if you're in the key of G minor or, say, G flat major. That is, the E flat is fluid. There is no such thing as a pure E flat.

On that note, a newly tuned piano is never really in tune. The piano doesn't have the flexibility of other instruments to shift and slide notes and adjust intonation according to what key you're in or what the musician hears to be correct.

I even had a teacher once tell me that intonation is an aesthetic decision to some extent. That is, even the best of players have their own personal tuning tendencies -- some play a little flat, some play a little sharp. It's part of their own style and the way they hear things.

So, in my opinion, perfect pitch adds nothing to musicianship and I doubt many "great" musicians even have it.

I've been told i have perfect pitch. I thought it said "Perfect Bitch" in the thread title though....

Relative pitch is more important. Like the guy above said, E might not really be E, but adjusting the melody to the "key of E" that you're using is really important.

And say you start a song with just vocals, and the instruments come in later. Most people will be flat by the time the instruments come in.

So consistent relative pitch is very important, but knowing that you're singing a b flat isn't so important because most pop musicians don't read music. Some barely know chord names, particularly singers.

Many people who have perfect pitch don't even know it because they don't stress that except maybe in classical music. I read an article where it said Asians possess higher percentages of people with perfect pitch. This may be because languages like Chinese are pitch based, or it may be because the kids read music and play classical music.
[Edited 3/25/05 15:36pm]

Generally speaking, I think good pitch is probably more important in a producer than a performer.

Easy answer: NOT VERY IMPORTANT. Relative pitch is perhaps better to have, as many people withperfect pitch get very peeved when pieces of music are SLIGHTLY out of tune, ie microtones/quartertones, etc away from the actual note. And bear in mind that notes resonate at different frequencies depending on what country you're in...a friend of mine used to complain about that a lot when listening to classical recordings from different European countries.

RipHer2Shreds said:

Not sure I understand. Producers don't effect pitch. Performers are fully responsible for the pitch whether it's a recording or live performance. As an instrumentalist, pitch is paramount and takes years and years to master. (Unless you're a pianist or organist or possibly guitarist) Depends on what your instrument is, I guess. But someone has to tune the instrument in the first place. I never heard of a producer tuning an instrument.
[Edited 3/25/05 17:58pm]

mrdespues said:

LOL The differences are probably due to the recording methods, not geography. Recordings change pitch according to the speed of the recording or playback machine. That's why it's difficult to play an instrument with a recording...you'll always sound out of tune. But 440HZ is 440HZ. All you have to do is buy a tuning fork to get perfect pitch.

heartbeatocean said:

I think he was likely referring to Jennifer Lopez and her studio pitch correction wizards.

heartbeatocean said:

no no no. this guy is a concert pianist and he says that in one country (i think it was Germany), Concert A is a slightly different frequency (about a quarter-tone out or something) than most of the rest of the world. it has nothing to do with tape speed.

andyman91 said:

Perfect pitch is never stressed in classical music. Being in tune is stressed, but that's different than perfect pitch. The orchestra tunes to the A, and the rest is relative.

I always understood perfect pitch to be something you're born with, not something you can learn. Either you have it or you don't. Good intonation, however, takes rigorous practice and training of the ear. Good intonation is different than perfect pitch.

VoicesCarry said:

Oh, I don't know anything about that. I suppose digital technology can do anything these days.

word omission edit
[Edited 3/25/05 18:13pm]

heartbeatocean said:

You can hear the evidence of it on the final product.

mrdespues said:

I totally don't get it. 440 Hz is a scientific measurement of vibrations and since Germany is the cradle of so much classical music...it would be standard. What it could be, is that they tune the pianos slightly differently. I bet that's it, because notes on the piano all have to be tuned between their actual notes so the pianist can move between key signatures without sounding totally off. Otherwise, the key of C would sound perfect but as soon as you enter the key of F, it would sound awful.

I can see how that would drive a pianist crazy though. Different tuning systems would make their pieces sound totally different. I bet that's what your friend was talking about. Interesting.

heartbeatocean said:

yeah, different tuning systems is probably it...but he DID say that Concert A was a slightly different frequency in some parts of the world.

mrdespues said:

I'll have to check into that.

heartbeatocean said:

The producer's gonna be the one hearing what is on/off pitch. And if it's off pitch, (s)he better let the performer know. Of course, I'm not saying the singer or whomever shouldn't know what the hell they're doing, but ultimately, the producer guides the sound of the song.

RipHer2Shreds said:

I see what you mean.

Alot of people can hear when things are out of tune, but perfect pitch is the ability to name what note you're hearing is.

I didn't know what "perfect pitch" meant before I was in some music classes. Apparently, I demonstrated that I had perfect pitch and the teacher was impressed. I think anyone who plays an instrument everyday would have this talent, as I'm sure I'm out of practice and probably don't have that ability right now.


[Edited 3/26/05 11:51am]

I thought it depends on the situation. Perfect pitch for someone like the Sex Pistols or Guns N Roses is just singing somewhere in tune. For someone like Whitney Houston or Mariah Carey, its being able to emote a note without sounding flat, so it's more important to them. However, for someone like Roger Clemens, Randy Johnson, Curt Schilling or Pedro Martinez, perfect pitch is critical (or else they'll lose the game and possibly the World Series).

728huey said:

no. that's called "INTONATION". perfect pitch is not just being able to sing in key. perfect pitch is being able to say/play/sing what the name of a note is, eg, "E flat" when it is played on an instrument or recording. it is much more difficult. for example, i have very good "relative pitch"...I can p[itch what a C or E is in my head, because I know lots of songs in those keys...then from there I can pitch/say another note "relative" to that pitch if needed. But a person with "perfect" pitch can say what a note is straight away without needing to pitch it relative to another pitch. understand?

I repeat: Perfect Pitch (being able to name a note with no reference point) is different than Intonation (playing in tune)



University of California Genetics of Absolute Pitch Study

What is Absolute Pitch (Perfect Pitch)?
Absolute Pitch, commonly referred to as Perfect Pitch, is an intriguing behavioral trait involved in music perception and is defined as the ability to recognize the pitch of a musical tone without an external reference pitch. To be considered a Perfect Pitch possessor, an individual must have the ability to identify pitches accurately and instantaneously.


General Findings From the UC Genetics of Absolute Pitch Study

Our study suggests that a genetic predisposition for Perfect Pitch and musical training are both important for the development of Perfect Pitch. Based on the data collected from the surveys and the auditory tests, we found that most individuals with Perfect Pitch began formal musical training before age 6. This supports the hypothesis that early musical training may be necessary for the development of Perfect Pitch. However, early musical training alone is not sufficient for one to develop Perfect Pitch, as most individuals with musical training initiated before age 6 did not report that they possessed Perfect Pitch. We also observed that Perfect Pitch aggregates in families, indicating a role for genetic components in the development of Perfect Pitch. Indeed we found that a sibling (with early musical training) of a Perfect Pitch possessor is as much as 15 times more likely to possess Perfect Pitch than is another individual with early musical training but with no family history of Perfect Pitch.

I love you guys...

I learn more from the org than from most music classes.

Gracias, all, for your insight and wisdom.