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I’ve learnt absolute pitch for a single note - F3 I was learning to sing for the first time at age 20. Learning Michael Buble’s cover of the jazz standard Feve

by lmpdev 2y ago

I’ve learnt absolute pitch for a single note - F3 I was learning to sing for the first time at age 20. Learning Michael Buble’s cover of the jazz standard Fever with my singing teacher at the time Mohini It took about an hour of reinforcing the first 5-10 seconds of the start of the song on loop That was almost 10 years ago - still nail that specific pitch every time From there I can usually sing that scale correctly without reference, but it’s all anchored on the initial interval of F3 down to D#3 Accurate relative ear is more important anyway, I don’t sing anymore but if I was learning I’d focus on intervals and scales/modes over anything else ——— Another helpful interval is just nailing the octave jump, an example is Chet Baker’s You Don’t Know What Love Is

sarreph 2y ago
That is not absolute pitch - it’s pitch memory, see: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonal_memory https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonal_memory I too have experienced the same phenomenon of being able to recall a particular note. Agree with you that relative pitch is more important!
- mettamage 2y ago
  Oh, is absolute pitch the ability to recall every note? I once heard a C on a piano and played it a few times and then remembered it. I thought it was absolute pitch.
  - TheOtherHobbes 2y ago
    Perfect pitch is being able to name any individual note and to hear when they're not quite in tune. Although it's also a curse, because perceived pitch changes with age, so you have to keep learning to compensate. And domestic acoustic pianos are often tuned a semitone flat, which really messes with your head. Advanced pitch recognition is being able to pick out the notes in a complex chord in open form. Professional pitch recognition - as demonstrated by some conductors - is being able to list the pitches in any random set of notes played at the same time on a piano. Including notes in the lowest octave. It's a lot easier to get to the last two if you have the first.
- lolinder 2y ago
  They're the same phenomenon, just different amounts and precision of memory. Source: my wife and multiple of her siblings have absolute pitch and we've spent hours and hours talking about their experience with it.
TimByte 2y ago
Totally agree that a solid relative ear is more practical for most musicians. Absolute pitch is cool, but, I think, relative pitch and good interval recognition are what actually make someone a great singer...
- f1shy 2y ago
  Absolute is no cool at all. At age 40, when physical changes deform the ear (same as with the eyes) your absolute scale will shift. People with real absolute pitch have problems to enjoy music (much worst to play) after 40. I wanted to have my kids have absolute pitch, then I asked around, and was told to me that is not the best idea.
  - cma 2y ago
    Wouldn't you just be able to adjust for it like reading music that's keyed in B flat concert pitch for clarinets?
    - f1shy 2y ago
      As far as I read online: yoy can consciously understand, is not the music shifted but you, but it will sound off. There seems to be a “treatment” whichbis to listen to music and gradually change its speed. If done for (i think) it was 2 ha or so, you can throw a person withbperfect pitch off. The effects seem to last for a couple of months. Again, that is all I found online, but that las bit is based on papers of scientific studies.
  - TimByte 2y ago
    I hadn't considered how aging affects absolute pitch. I've heard of musicians struggling with pitch perception as they get older, but I didn't realize it could be that disruptive
djmips 2y ago
Why aren't you singing anymore?
- lmpdev 2y ago
  Housing crisis in Australia My past few rentals are too small to practice at home without annoying the neighbours Singing practice is really repetitive so even if you sound good it’s irritating to everyone else
  - djmips 2y ago
    That's unfortunate it's happening there as well (housing). I hadn't thought about the sonic disturbance angle, I am all to familiar with the concept though as it applies to other instruments such as piano which fortunately I was able to get around with a digital piano and headphones.

by lmpdev 2y ago

sarreph 2y ago

That is not absolute pitch - it’s pitch memory, see: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonal_memory https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonal_memory I too have experienced the same phenomenon of being able to recall a particular note. Agree with you that relative pitch is more important!

mettamage 2y ago
Oh, is absolute pitch the ability to recall every note? I once heard a C on a piano and played it a few times and then remembered it. I thought it was absolute pitch.
- TheOtherHobbes 2y ago
  Perfect pitch is being able to name any individual note and to hear when they're not quite in tune. Although it's also a curse, because perceived pitch changes with age, so you have to keep learning to compensate. And domestic acoustic pianos are often tuned a semitone flat, which really messes with your head. Advanced pitch recognition is being able to pick out the notes in a complex chord in open form. Professional pitch recognition - as demonstrated by some conductors - is being able to list the pitches in any random set of notes played at the same time on a piano. Including notes in the lowest octave. It's a lot easier to get to the last two if you have the first.
lolinder 2y ago
They're the same phenomenon, just different amounts and precision of memory. Source: my wife and multiple of her siblings have absolute pitch and we've spent hours and hours talking about their experience with it.

TimByte 2y ago

Totally agree that a solid relative ear is more practical for most musicians. Absolute pitch is cool, but, I think, relative pitch and good interval recognition are what actually make someone a great singer...

f1shy 2y ago
Absolute is no cool at all. At age 40, when physical changes deform the ear (same as with the eyes) your absolute scale will shift. People with real absolute pitch have problems to enjoy music (much worst to play) after 40. I wanted to have my kids have absolute pitch, then I asked around, and was told to me that is not the best idea.
- cma 2y ago
  Wouldn't you just be able to adjust for it like reading music that's keyed in B flat concert pitch for clarinets?
  - f1shy 2y ago
    As far as I read online: yoy can consciously understand, is not the music shifted but you, but it will sound off. There seems to be a “treatment” whichbis to listen to music and gradually change its speed. If done for (i think) it was 2 ha or so, you can throw a person withbperfect pitch off. The effects seem to last for a couple of months. Again, that is all I found online, but that las bit is based on papers of scientific studies.
- TimByte 2y ago
  I hadn't considered how aging affects absolute pitch. I've heard of musicians struggling with pitch perception as they get older, but I didn't realize it could be that disruptive

djmips 2y ago

Why aren't you singing anymore?

lmpdev 2y ago
Housing crisis in Australia My past few rentals are too small to practice at home without annoying the neighbours Singing practice is really repetitive so even if you sound good it’s irritating to everyone else
- djmips 2y ago
  That's unfortunate it's happening there as well (housing). I hadn't thought about the sonic disturbance angle, I am all to familiar with the concept though as it applies to other instruments such as piano which fortunately I was able to get around with a digital piano and headphones.