From: META000 <META@UNB.CA>
Subject: RE: Why few people have Perfect Pitch
Organization: The University of New Brunswick
Date: Fri, 21 Aug 1992 17:42:55 GMT

In article <1992Aug20.144750.12771@dgbt.doc.ca> serge@marvin.dgbt.doc.ca (Serge Ah Hee) writes:
>
>I was discussing this with a friend of mine. We were wondering why so few people
>have perfect pitch. Can it be learned?
>
>--
>Serge Ah-Hee                  "Most troubles come from the fact that people
>serge@dgbt.doc.ca  take for granted of what they have, and
>    only care for what they want."
>My opinions are mine only.
>.
>.
Speaking as a psychologist, what we call perfect pitch is basically the
detailed recollection of a sound, a kind of auditory photo- graphic
memory, if you will.  The individual with "perfect pitch" recalls a
sound not only in terms of its relative characteristics, but in terms of
its absolute ones; i.e., its' exact pitch.  From what we know of those
with so-called "photographic" memory, no such thing exists.  People with
"photographic" memory typically show accurate detailed recollection of
those things they are highly familiar with, and normal sloppy memory
(like the rest of us) for those things they are less familiar with.
Virtually ALL people have some domains of interest that they can show
near-"photographic" recall in.  I find myself able to get the gist of
enough of Rolling Stone magazine in the supermarket checkout line that
buying is not required.  Nothing special,simply extensive background
knowledge about R & R that provides an efficient framework for tucking
away loads of data about that topic.  When it comes to pitch, people can
readily show "perfect pitch" for music they are highly familiar with (as
evidenced by some of the repliesto this topic).  Although I would not be
in a position to hum you an A or C on request, I, like millions of
others, can be in perfect tune witha song on an album (as it starts)
merely by having heard the last few notes of the tune that usually
precedes it.  This is not at all unlike not being able to recall that
oh-so-critical date your wife asks you about (and I mean not remembering
it ever happened), but coming up with tremendous detail as soon as she
prompts you.  Spontaneous recall is very difficult, prompted recognition
much easier.  Similarly, "perfect pitch" in terms of independently
generating a given pitch on request is VERY hard, while remembering
what pitch a song starts with, after being prompted by cues from music
you normally associate with it, is pretty common and easy.  Can perfect
pitch be taught?  In some respects, yes...in theory.  But if perfect
pitch is a type of memory skill, no moreso than memory.  In the same way
that no mega-memory course in the world will globally improve your
memory (merely those specific types of things you use the memory tricks
for), no training can "create" a generalized pefect pitch skill, since
it would involve being able to mentally recreate a particular pitch in
the absence of any cues or prompts ALL the time.  This would be
tantamount to being able to remember the chords to EVERY song you know,
EVERY time you want to play it.  If you can name me one guitarist in the
history of guitar who can do that, you're a better musician than I.