How does perfect or absolute pitch work for most people?

Question

For me I can name a note on call so when I hear a note I think of a note and count the interval. My dad just hears it and knows what note is it without calculation. So in his case, did he memorize every tone or is he just very good at estimating tone values?

Answer 1

I don't think it's a question of memorising notes per se. I have relative pitch rather than perfect pitch, through which I can work out the note by humming upwards from Middle C. However, the general thinking seems to be that whilst some people are naturally more gifted than others at recognising different pitches, familiarity plays a large part. So, the more music you play and/or listen to, the better your pitch recognition should be. If you are naturally gifted in that area, you may be able to attain perfect pitch.

Answer 2

You and your dad are both very talented. Very few people can do either. A method I use is like what you do. I take songs I have been working on, for example, I have been learning the bass line for "The Wanton Song" by Led Zeppelin. I think it in my mind and I can hear G. If someone were to play a G on the piano I could instantly identify it, much the same as your dad. I could prolly also identify C and D nearly instantly as well as E , because of the prominence of these notes in the G major scale. That is 1/3 of all possible notes right there ! Like most things musical some people just get it quicker than others but most things can be learned with time and effort. I would venture to guess that as good as you are at this already if you worked on it a little every day you soon would not be doing calculations either.

Answer 3

In my case I can follow any note or tone in my guitars. Or do voice harmonies in 3 or maybe 4 parts. But I don't know the names of the notes and I only took trumpet lessons for 2 or 3 months when I was 11 years old (I'm 42 now) Guitar, I learned from watching my friends and other people playing. I can follow you with my guitar in any note you choose in seconds, not more than 10 or 5 seconds to get the exact tone or note.

Answer 4

you couldn't learn to be perfect pitched.

note: being pitched is not only naming a naming a note. like A. he should be also be able to name what octave it's in. when a perfect hears a chord, like Dmajor, he should be able also to name the 7ths or 9ths that come with it.

Answer 5

I know what an A is, and I count the intervals from there.