How to achieve/acquire "perfect/absolute pitch"

[chsmike2345]

Perfect pitch is extremely useful, especially in memorization and improvisation. Some people are born with it, some develope it naturally, while others (me!) can't seem to develop it naturally. Any suggestions on how to acquire perfect pitch?

For those who don't know, perfect pitch is being able to identify a note when it's played.


Thanks,
Michael

[BoliverAllmon]

I have a theory on it. My ear training teacher is from Korea and has perfect pitch. She says that nearly all musicians over there have perfect pitch, whereas maybe 10-15 percent of American musicians have it. The biggest difference I see in the 2 different methods of musical training has to do with fixed or movable doe. The fixed doe method used in Korea forces one to realize a certain sound as a certain note whereas the moveable doe used by USA causes one to associate a sound based upon a previous sound (intervals). I think that the fixed doe is a better idea and could produce more perfect pitch musicians.

boliver

[newsgroupeuan]

Every note has its own "feel"

[Daevren]

It could be language. Not only do we learn to speak tones but we also learn to hear them.

When we learn language we are at an age when we are really good at learning those things. Its also easier to learn perfect pitch then.

But whats the advantage of perfect pitch over relative pitch. Not much. But it does take alot more time if you want to learn it as an adult.

There are some programs that claim to learn it you effectively but they are kind or rip offs. You could learn it but you are better of spending your time practicing piano and improving relative pitch.

[chsmike2345]

Ok, so far, no real suggestions on how to obtain perfect pitch, but since the forum has leaned toward relative pitch, how about telling or recommending how to achieve or hone relative pitch

[Daevren]

Listen to music, lol.

You can isolate the exercises by using a program like EarMaster 4. You have interval, scale, chord tones, chord inversion, chord progression recognition stuff.

Also you can try to transcribe music. Or play something by ear.

I always had a bad ear before I became a musician(never liked or listened to music) but it has increased alot, mostly passive. But last few years I have begon to do exercises.

And don't ask me what progam is best because I have absolutely no clue.

[chsmike2345]

so, what program? lol  

[comme_le_vent]

excercises that can help are....play 2 or 3 notes close together and pick out and sing each individual one, or just listen to 'slow' dissonant music with closely grouped notes and try to focus your ear to pick out each one, then when you can focus your ear, just listen to piano tones individually, you may notice individual qualities in b flat, c sharp, f, etc.... the closest comparison with something else, is the visual sense of colour, you dont think in visual colours when you hear these qualities, but they are just like different feels of vibrancy and mellowness... its very very hard to explain, but if you take in all this, then your on the right track

[Clare]

I got perfect pitch from learning the violin and remembering all the open strings from playing them so much and then just branching out to all the other notes from there.
Maybe if I was to start learning it consciously, I'd try and learn one particular note off by heart and then start comparing it to others. Find out what key your refrigerator hums in!

[Clare]

Oh yeah - and you probably know keys and notes already without realising it. Like, you could probably start humming a famous song starting on the right note. Find out what note that is and then voila! You know it!

[MasterTuner]

prolobe.com offers absolute pitch training.  I currently rank number two on that program under the alias amw2.