How good of pitch would I be considered to have?

[bustthewave]

Hey, so I was reading about perfect pitch, and how almost all major composers arguably had perfect pitch with the exception of Brahms, and possibly Bach (only because of the period he lived in, which would have had almost every instrument played in a different standard of tuning, which would mean that perfect pitch would likely be impossible... just according to the article I read).

Anywho, I was reading this article and he was talking about how one famous composer who's name escapes me tried to develop perfect pitch, by memorizing A440 for a month, locked in his room, to no avail. Now, I remembered A440 on an online metronome (since I'm learning to play with one for the first time). I hit the a440 button, wondering what it was, and it played a constant tone, of a high A. It was really grating.

So I test myself. I try and remember this tone from a few days ago, playing it in my head, and then hum it out loud. Then I play the tone again, and I was dead on it. It was the exact tone.

Now I can't read sheet music, so I can't look at notes and get the exact pitch, but I can always get the right melody at least.

I can always hum middle C (sometimes I'm a bit flat, worst case scenario is I'm a full step off...)

Obviously intervals I'm dead on with each time.

If you are singing a song, I can pick out the melody and key, along with chord progression (if it's not riddled with too many key changes) in just a few seconds. If it's a song I've never heard before, and someone I've never heard sing before, I am highly likely to be wrong on my very first note, while I try to figure out what key you are singing in.

So in comparison, how good is my pitch? Is this just your standard relative pitch? I was kind of floored when I got the right note, dead on, for A440 on the metronome.

[lostprophet]

I think you have to forget the note, and then 'conjure' it in your head, hum it, and then check if it's the note you wanted, to have perfect pitch. I'm guessing that since the note was in your head the whole time, it's not going to waver or drop down because you're matching it with itself, or a memory of itself at least.

Try walking up to the piano for the first time in the day, humming a certain note, and then checking it. Then you'll know for sure.

[bustthewave]

I think you have to forget the note, and then 'conjure' it in your head, hum it, and then check if it's the note you wanted, to have perfect pitch. I'm guessing that since the note was in your head the whole time, it's not going to waver or drop down because you're matching it with itself, or a memory of itself at least.

Try walking up to the piano for the first time in the day, humming a certain note, and then checking it. Then you'll know for sure.

I can do that with general accuracy.

I did it the other day, someone was wanting me to play some hymns at a nursing home so people could sing with it. She picked a key, I listened, and jumped in. I was dead on more often than not, though sometimes if she picked a flat/sharp key, I would be off. I mean I certainly wasn't perfect, but with the songs I hadn't heard before, it only took me a few seconds to pick up.

What I was saying about the A440 note, is that I hadn't listened to it in a few days. And at the time I wasn't even aware of making a mental note of the sound, as it was less than 5 seconds of my life. "Hmm, what does this do? Oh yikes, that's annoying... off."

... ...

and I just tested myself again. I hummed a random note without thinking about it. At first I mentally said, while standing in front of my keyboard, "this is an E." Then before hitting the note, I mentally said, "no, it's probably an E flat."

It was an E flat.

I didn't start with a note I have better accuracy on first either (such as middle C), and count upwards.

But I'm still not sure, I've never really or been tested on my pitch before.

[stevebob]

Hey, so I was reading about perfect pitch, and how almost all major composers arguably had perfect pitch ....

I doubt that's true (or even "arguably" so).  It sounds like the sort of thing that gets said and repeated and eventually becomes part of "what everyone knows."

[rukunetsu]

I recommend this link for testing your ability

It's a research study on people who have perfect pitch. You need a speaker and a mouse. All you have to do is enter your information and follow directions. You will hear a sound and you have to click on the piano key that corresponds to the pitch of the sound. After answering everything, the website will tell you if you are considered perfect pitch after comparing your result with the statistics they have gathered so far. I've tested myself and it was very interesting.

https://perfectpitch.ucsf.edu/survey/page1.php

[thinkgreenlovepiano]

I recommend this link for testing your ability

It's a research study on people who have perfect pitch. You need a speaker and a mouse. All you have to do is enter your information and follow directions. You will hear a sound and you have to click on the piano key that corresponds to the pitch of the sound. After answering everything, the website will tell you if you are considered perfect pitch after comparing your result with the statistics they have gathered so far. I've tested myself and it was very interesting.

https://perfectpitch.ucsf.edu/survey/page1.php

Thanks for the link.
I tested myself, and my suspicions were confirmed. I have AWFUL pitch.  

[ongaku_oniko]

Thanks for the link.
I tested myself, and my suspicions were confirmed. I have AWFUL pitch.  

Did you get 3 on the first half and 5 on the second half like I did? :D:D

[thinkgreenlovepiano]

Did you get 3 on the first half and 5 on the second half like I did? :D:D

I got 5 on the second half! But my score for the first half (pure tones) was higher than the second half (piano tones). Which is weird, considering I only play piano!!!
But I doubt it really means anything. I think this test was probably better at testing my guessing skills/ reflex skills than my pitch . I couldn't keep up with all the notes! 

Anyway, to the OP, it is a really good test for you, since you actually may have absolute pitch and won't have to guess most of the notes.

[bustthewave]

I got 5 on the second half! But my score for the first half (pure tones) was higher than the second half (piano tones). Which is weird, considering I only play piano!!!
But I doubt it really means anything. I think this test was probably better at testing my guessing skills/ reflex skills than my pitch . I couldn't keep up with all the notes! 

Anyway, to the OP, it is a really good test for you, since you actually may have absolute pitch and won't have to guess most of the notes.

AHA! So much for that theory .

I got a 7 on pure tones, and about a 9 on piano tones.

My red dot at the end was definitely still at the bottom with everyone else

[thinkgreenlovepiano]

AHA! So much for that theory .

I got a 7 on pure tones, and about a 9 on piano tones.

My red dot at the end was definitely still at the bottom with everyone else

Well good relative pitch is good enough  I know I have neither. And I still scored lower than you ... 7 and 5! Why am I the only person here who scored worse on the piano tones? Maybe I don't belong here and should take up some purer sounding instrument like flute.

 Not to hijack your thread (sorry!!), but does anyone know any good online ear testing sites? I can never tell what inversion a four note chord is

[ongaku_oniko]

nah, I took it again and got 5 on pure tone and 1 on piano :D:D:D 1!!!

[perfect_pitch]

Well... I can safely live up to my user-name...

I got everything right.

Not bad...

[ongaku_oniko]

Nice... were you born with it?

[perfect_pitch]

Yeah... God knows why.

My classmates at Uni and High school were really bloody jealous of me...

[ongaku_oniko]

I didn't think it was all that uncommon.

Back in grade 8, of my class of 30, half had perfect pitch.

Oh, and I'm not even talking about music class. Just a regular Secondary school (In BC you have elemntary from grade 1-7 and secondary from 8-12)

[perfect_pitch]

Really??? Damn - what's in the water there???

I was the only kid in 50 in my year 10 class who could do that... At Uni there was only one other girl who could do that, and even so - she had to think about every note thoroughly.

[ongaku_oniko]

yeah I heard somewhere that only 1:10000 has pefect pitch...

Well my class was kind of special. It's a normal highschool, not a music school BUT it is a special program for gifted students, so almost everyone in the class plays some sort of an instrument, and pretty much all at quite an advanced level for 12-13 year olds (RCME grade 10-ARCT level)

They're just also very good at math, English, Science, .... etc.

[thinkgreenlovepiano]

Wow 36 and 36!!! Congratulations   
My sister got 31 and 35, and it still said she had perfect pitch... So 36 must be perfect perfect pitch

@ongaku, I don't know what gifted program you were in, but here a gifted student is a student "who has a different (weird?) way of thinking"  . The only gift we seemed to have was the ability to cause trouble and drive the teachers nuts with our crazy questions   

[littletune]

I don't even wanna try the test!!!  I would just start feeling bad! I mean I only just started feeling kinda ok cause I'm doing well at music theory with the music dictations and all that... I don't want to start feeling bad about my pitch and hearing again!!