Perfect Pitch, Attainable?

[Aziel]

My B-Day's coming up and I was thinking of getting a digital piano (though I prefer my Yamaha piano over any digital piano or a lot of other pianos for that matter).  Though, pp has been discussed and I have used the search function, what would be a good way of going about getting pp? 

I've noticed a few members have said getting a digital piano...(I could use one when I play something like the suggestion diabolique at 10p.m.).  Would getting a d-piano do it?  Or would I need some really expensive yet barely helpful program kind of thing (perfect pitch course, sort of thing).

Thanks in advance for any advice.

[pseudopianist]

Yes it is attainable. But why would a digital piano help? Still the same notes

[janne p.]

Yes it is attainable. But why would a digital piano help? Still the same notes

It's always perfectly in tune. Helps a lot.

[pseudopianist]

Even if it is out of tune an A is still an A maybe with a bit of G# in it. It doesn't matter that much (as long as it isn't THAT untuned) but sure it would be an good idea to use a tuned instrument.

[janne p.]

If you're trying to attain perfect pitch it's really helpful if the tones you try to fix in your head don't change when the piano gets out of tune. It can't be compared to what it sounds like when already possessing PP.

[pseudopianist]

Well if you have a piano that goes out of that much that often you might want to get one.
But as long as the note is still an A it shouldn't be much of an difference

[Aziel]

My piano is tuned reguarly, but it's of course still off microscopically I'm sure.

But correct me if I'm wrong, perfect pitch is being able to recognize any note/chord etc., so it's hearing 440hertz and knowing it's A (something along those lines).  Well a piano could be 439-439.99 or what not, while a keyboard is always 440.

Should I get a nice digital piano? 

[pseudopianist]

No

[Aziel]

Meh...

[grazioso]

Buy a piano thats nice to play. Don't choose an instrument on how likely it is to give you an un-usefull skill.

[Aziel]

I didn't ask how useful a skill is. 

I already have a Yamaha T121, which is already something I'm not looking to replace.   

Any helpful advice, is still more than welcome...

[janne p.]

But as long as the note is still an A it shouldn't be much of an difference

One learns the A much faster if it's always EXACTLY the same A. EXACTLY the same A. Get it? ;-P

But I agree, don't choose the instrument on that basis...I wouldn't at least. Choose a piano that sounds and feels nice. (This may of course be a digital piano.)

[Aziel]

Yea, I already love my piano (acoustic), getting a digital piano to put in my room would be nice.  I would buy according to sound and all, but would it benifit my pitch is what I'm asking. 

[janne p.]

Yes, I would say it does benefit your pitch to play on a digital piano. But for me the greatest advantage with a digital piano is that you can play with headphones. I'm always up at night so it's great to be able to practice/play.

[shoshin]

so your trying to get perfect pitch? So how is that gonna help you if you hear real pianos that are slightly out of tune?

If your only reason for getting a digital piano is to practice perfect pitch then I would say its a waste of money.  There are many reasons to get a digital piano but that one shouldn't rank very high.

[violinist]

I have a digital piano.  I feel that the some of the sampled notes are very slightly out of tune (from the original piano they obtained the samples).

I don't think a perfect pitch of the degree you're talking about is attainable.  Work on perfecting your relative pitch - that is definitely a realistic goal.

I had a friend who tried to get perfect pitch and improved a bit, he used a chromatic tuner which produced notes.  He carried this around with him all the time.  Then he realized that he could use the chromatic tuner instead of perfect pitch...

[janne p.]

I had a friend who tried to get perfect pitch and improved a bit, he used a chromatic tuner which produced notes.  He carried this around with him all the time.  Then he realized that he could use the chromatic tuner instead of perfect pitch...

And when he runs out of batteries or needs to give the starting tones for his choir he's ***ed

[prometheus]

Perfect pitch works just as well out of 440, at least that is what people tell me.

It's hearing pitch 'colour'. If the colour is not in 440, then I guess you will be slightly confused because you don't know the colours, but you can still hear them.

[janne p.]

It's hearing pitch 'colour'. If the colour is not in 440, then I guess you will be slightly confused because you don't know the colours, but you can still hear them.

Not everybody hear "colours", not even the majority of those with perfect pitch that I know/have asked. For the most part it isn't explainable how to distinguish any given note from another one. "It just sounds like a G."

[prometheus]

They hear the 'colour' G.

[janne p.]

No, they hear the pitch which they identify as the tone named G. I have specifically asked them about this, and they don't hear any colours. Believe me. I don't hear any colours either.

[pianonut]

sometimes you can feel where it is in your voice, if you sing or hum a lot.  maybe that's why the greats start humming more.  they match the pitches they are hearing and just fake it if they lose their spot.  i wish i could fake it.  i have to use the composer's notes and put them randomly together to get back to my spot.   if i had perfect pitch, i would use it a lot in performance.  i would use it for transcribing music, also.  (just sit/listen/write).

and, if one ever wants to be a good conductor (which many pianists become), you have to know these things. choirs tend to rely on the pianist (for some reason) to know everything (especially if the conductor is late).  you have to warm up with the same exercises you heard yesterday.    i go home and try to write them down and put in my book.  if i had perfect pitch, i would repeat them verbatum without having to write down.

and, in the church i am now attending, they do everything (it seems) except for a few pieces, by rote.  that means a lot of jazzy interludes between the pieces and sets (which i cannot do yet, but sometimes have time to practice an interlude - going throught theory of what key the last song was in, and where i have to go and what to do to get to next key.  i am absolutely terrible at this and want to get better.

when i was younger, when i would hear a piece in my head (composing), i would notate it on a napkin or piece of paper with interval and rhythm shorthand of my own.  at least i know intervals (sort of).  i get hung up sometimes on 6ths.