Possible to teach or learn perfect pitch?

[goalevan]

I have an audiobook here that supposedly can train perfect pitch...

Waste of time or completely possible?

[Bob]

What book is it?

Either way (disregarding the book's quality), just focusing more attention on your ears will help your hearing.

Try it.  Let us know.

[goalevan]

David Lucas Burge's Perfect Pitch Ear Training Supercourse.

Anybody familiar with this one?

I'll probably go through this, it sounds good so far.

[Bob]

I've heard of it and tried it.  I didn't get perfect pitch, but probably heard a little better after it.  I did not go through the entire method though (This may be the catch -- You don't get perfect pitch, but you don't exactly follow the method.  You don't return it for your money back...).  

I liked the idea of listening up through chords note by note, regardless of what type of chord it is -- You just played random notes together and then try to hear each one while still holding them down.

Sometimes libraries carry this and you can just check it out instead of purchasing it.

Let us know how it goes.  

[faulty_damper]

It would seem like a waste of time.  Here's why:

It's a recording that is played on your home stereo system.  Your home stereo system is not an accoustic piano capable of delivering perfect sound reproduction.  Because of this, if there is any fault, even slightly, the best results would net you perfect recorded pitch.  What does this mean?  It means that you'll be able to identify perfectly the notes coming out of your stereo system and not on your piano.  Great for Britney Spears, bad for your pitch.

I always wondered why I could never play the same note that was coming out of my stereo.  Close but no cigar.  I'll be tapping every note within that range but still not play the same sound even though the piano was tuned properly.  Maybe I needed to get the stereo tuned instead?

[goalevan]

He doesn't train your ear by playing tones on the recording, he gives you a whole explaination and tons of exercises to work on of advancing difficulty until the end of the course it seems. He rarely plays tones on the recording other than little examples.

[clarinetwife]

I am curious what the goal is to these methods that are being talked about on this thread.  Is it to be able to hear intervals and chords accurately, and perhaps to be able to name notes from a reference tone?  Or, is it really to hear notes in a chord and tell exactly what notes are in it in what order, for example?  Or to hear a pitch out of the blue and be able to name it?  The first goal would be covered with relative pitch, which can be developed.  My understanding is that perfect pitch is a quirk of the brain that shows itself with musical training.  I was told that I was born with it.

[goalevan]

well I've read that perfect pitch is not really BORN into anybody, but there may be a small window in childhood and some prerequisites that make it much easier to acquire. It's said that 20 year olds and above can have a very hard time learning this ability if they are even successful. I'll certainly work on the methods over the next year or so and see if I can be successful at it.

as for the goal of the methods is to train you to be able to recognize each tone without using a reference note. And he expands to recognizing each separate tone in chords. For example if someone played C major triad you would be able to recognize the 3 notes that were played C, E, G just from listening.

So far he relates this process recognizing tones as specific colors or qualities. Pretty interesting.

[clarinetwife]

goaleven said:  "well I've read that perfect pitch is not really BORN into anybody, but there may be a small window in childhood and some prerequisites that make it much easier to acquire"

Yes, early musical training seems to be important in the development of perfect pitch.  But, what percentage of kids who begin study at the appropriate age develop perfect pitch?  I'm afraid I do not know the answer to that, but my impression is that the percentage isn't real high.  Of course, the type of musical experience is going to make a difference as well.

goaleven said:  "So far he relates this process recognizing tones as specific colors or qualities. Pretty interesting. "

This is quite interesting.  Pitches and keys do indeed have a particular color or quality to them.  This is one reason a composer might write a piece in Db major instead of D major for example.  The two keys "Feel" quite different to the ear.  Good luck!

[Bob]

I'm leaning toward thinking that everybody (or most people, disregarding those with disabilities, etc.) can have perfect pitch.  I think it's easier to develop when younger (the window).  But, I think you start using your relative pitch skills and these "burn your brain" to use relative pitch.  In order to hear pitch color, you'd have to stop using relative pitch, start listening to sounds in a way that is totally different than relative pitch listening.  

I'm wondering about ways to suspend relative pitch.  The Burge stuff uses dim7's.  If there's no tonality, then relative pitch color is more difficult to hear.  Atonal music might work too.  Or, simply forcing your mind on pitch color instead of relative pitch color.  (I'm wiped out.... )