Perfect Pitch

[Dave Nereson]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Joe Garrett" <joegarrett@earthlink.net>
To: "pianotech" <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Thursday, October 28, 2004 9:35 PM
Subject: Re: Perfect Pitch


 > Matthew,
> The piano is NOT TUNED PERFECTLY! IMO, anyone who espouses to have perfect 
> pitch, actually does not, otherwise they could not stand to listen to 
> tempered intervals.

    Why would tempered intervals bother someone with "perfect pitch" (very 
good pitch recognition)?  Some people are very adept at being able to tap 
their finger or foot once per second, i.e., after 60 taps, they've marked 
off almost exactly one minute (they're probably never exactly "dead nuts 
on").  Others may have a propensity to be able to recognize when two marks 
on a piece of paper are exactly one inch apart.  And others may be able to 
see or feel when a piece of material is exactly .035" thick.  But none of 
these people are bothered when in everyday life they:  hear things clicking 
at intervals other than exact seconds;  or see things marked off at 
other-than-exact one-inch intervals; or see or feel pieces of material that 
aren't .035" thick.
    I happen to have what my piano teacher and cello teacher called "perfect 
pitch," but what I, as a piano tuner, would call only "very good pitch 
recognition."  I'm never "dead on," just "very close" most of the time.  But 
it doesn't cause any mental anguish for me to hear out-of-tune pianos or old 
recordings that aren't at A=440, or pianos or guitars or whatever that are a 
quarter- or half-step flat; I just recognize them as such.
    --David Nereson, RPT