violin thread

[Dan M. Hallett, Jr.]

Susan Kline wrote:
>
> I doubt one can influence the development of absolute pitch by prenatal
> exposure to piano tuning! (Good relative pitch, maybe?) I have heard a
> musician whose mother played in an orchestra describe his immediate and
> extremely emotional attachment to the pieces she was playing while pregnant.

Dear Susan: Another reply - this time to two posts. (Rather Long)
1) when I was teaching I came across an article (I no longer have it)
that researchers in Britain found that absolute pitch is developed about
the ages of two or three if there is an inherent ability to retain pitch
and if there is an instrument in the home that is played frequently.
This 'absolute' or 'perfect' pitch can be lost if not used.
2) In regards to singing and piano tuning, I have not investigated it at
all, and did not think of doing so until the post. The difference
between singing and playing an instrument is this:
When singing, the brain cannot distinguish between the activation of the
auditory nerve by bone conduction and the activation of the auditory
nerve by air movement. When playing instruments, the evaluation is of
tone produced outside the body only, instead of a combination.
In other words, when playing an instrument, our ears function more like
a microphone placed in front of the sound source.
Ths is perhaps poorly worded, but it's the best I can do at this moment.
It does explain why so many people often dislike their voices when they
hear them on a tape recorder, excluding all the physical characteristics
of speakers, etc.
Dan Hallett, Jr. RPT
Hallett's Piano Service
dhalle@toolcity.net