[pianotech] Perfect Pitch (revisited)

pnotnr at aol.com pnotnr at aol.com
Mon Jul 5 18:38:51 MDT 2010


I've always thought people used the term "perfect pitch" without understanding what it would really mean.  I usually give it as much credit as when someone uses the term "playing by heart" or "playing by ear"  Both sound more then a little painful, if you ask me.  And I figure the customer is just trying to impress upon me that they, or one of their relatives has a lot of musical ability.

I think if one is fortunate enough to be around instruments that are all at 440, it reinforces ones pitch memory.  But I know that after a day of tuning klunkers at lower then A440, my own pitch memory gets altered. And were someone to ask me to sing what I thought was 440, I would probably be closer to the pitch I last heard.  

If someone actually has PERFECT pitch, I would consider it more of a curse then a blessing.

Gordon Large, RPT

 

 






Hi all,
 
I went to tune for a client a while ago, and she begins by bragging what perfect pitch she has.  I had asked her when the last time her piano was tuned.  She couldn't remember, but then went on to say that it wasn't that far off as she has perfect pitch.  I whipped out my ETD and measured.  Sure enough, more than -25 cents!  I just smiled and told her it would need a pitch raise prior to tuning.  She was a little shocked.
 
Anyway, I just said all that to reiterate the fact that there is no such thing as perfect pitch.  Relative pitch, yes.  Pitch memory, yes.  But perfect pitch, no.
 




 
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