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<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#ff0000><STRONG>David Love,</STRONG></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#ff0000><STRONG></STRONG></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#ff0000><STRONG> I LOVE you for
composing and posting this. I have always cringed upon hearing the term "perfect
pitch".</STRONG></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#ff0000><STRONG> Your definitions
and explanations are <EM>perfect</EM>. Permit me one suggestion to the entire
musical community: we drop the term perfect pitch and substitute it with "pitch
(or note) recognition". This is, after all, what we're talking about. There
never has nor will there ever be anything perfect about musical
pitch.</STRONG></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#ff0000><STRONG> I don't know how
to post messages to the PTG list. If you could do so for me with this response
I'd be most appreciative.</STRONG></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#ff0000><STRONG> Many
thanks.</STRONG></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#ff0000><STRONG></STRONG></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#ff0000><STRONG> Dave Hughes,
RPT </STRONG></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>----- Original Message ----- </FONT>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>From: "David Love" <</FONT><A
href="mailto:davidlovepianos@comcast.net"><FONT face=Arial
size=2>davidlovepianos@comcast.net</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial
size=2>></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>To: "'Pianotech List'" <</FONT><A
href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org"><FONT face=Arial
size=2>pianotech@ptg.org</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=2>></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Sent: Wednesday, July 02, 2008 11:43
AM</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Subject: RE: perfect pitch
defined</FONT></DIV></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><BR><FONT size=2></FONT></FONT></DIV><FONT face=Arial
size=2>> This whole thing of relative versus perfect pitch is getting a
bit<BR>> convoluted. Now we even have some using the term "relative
perfect pitch"<BR>> (a bit of an oxymoron). As someone pointed out,
perfect pitch simply refers<BR>> to pitch memory, like the ability to
identify a color, one who possesses<BR>> "perfect" or "absolute" pitch can
identify a pitch when heard in isolation.<BR>> There appears to be a strong
genetic component for this ability but it seems<BR>> to also have a critical
period for development (like certain language<BR>> skills). Claims that
you can teach yourself "perfect pitch" are bogus. The<BR>> accuracy of
so called perfect pitch is another matter. A person who has<BR>> this
ability generally can't identify or hear the difference between A440<BR>> and
A339 or A442 for that matter. They simply hear the three notes as an
A.<BR>> Those who are musicians (and not all those who possess this ability
are)<BR>> might very well have a strong sense of flat or sharp based on their
own<BR>> intimate sense of their instrument. Many violinists, for
example, can hear<BR>> differences within their own instrument if it is tuned
slightly sharp or<BR>> slightly flat. One assumes that the subtle
difference in the quality of<BR>> sound at different tension levels accounts
for that. Woodwind players can<BR>> often hear the difference as well
and in both cases having perfect pitch<BR>> doesn't seem to be a
prerequisite. I doubt whether they could tell you<BR>> exact cents
deviations. Pianists, in my experience don't experience<BR>>
differences in tuning the same way. There is an ongoing study at
UCSF<BR>> (University of California San Francisco Medical School) on this
very subject<BR>> (perfect pitch, absolute pitch, pitch memory--however you
choose to call it)<BR>> with extensive testing done on these individuals who
have it and who claim<BR>> to have it. I know the scientist in charge
of the study and have had many<BR>> lengthy conversations about her
findings. It's really quite interesting<BR>> should anyone wish to look
into it. I don't know how much of the study is<BR>> actually
published.<BR>> <BR>> Relative pitch, on the other hand, is a learned
skill and refers to the<BR>> ability to identify any particular note after
being given a reference note.<BR>> Most well trained musicians have relative
pitch, or should. <BR>> <BR>> The term "relative perfect pitch"
makes no sense in this context. <BR>> <BR>> David Love<BR>>
</FONT><A href="mailto:davidlovepianos@comcast.net"><FONT face=Arial
size=2>davidlovepianos@comcast.net</FONT></A><BR><FONT face=Arial size=2>>
</FONT><A href="http://www.davidlovepianos.com"><FONT face=Arial
size=2>www.davidlovepianos.com</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=2> <BR>>
<BR>> <BR>> <BR>> <BR>> <BR>> <BR>>
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