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From: cbdougla@uokmax.ecn.uoknor.edu (Collin Broadrick Douglas)
Newsgroups: comp.music
Subject: Re: perfect pitch
Keywords: perfect pitch, ear training
Message-ID: <1989Dec5.075204.8428@uokmax.ecn.uoknor.edu>
Date: 5 Dec 89 07:52:04 GMT
References: <18807@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu> <365@bbxsda.UUCP> <3289@husc6.harvard.edu> <48907@bbn.COM> <9320@microsoft.UUCP>
Reply-To: cbdougla@uokmax.UUCP (Collin Broadrick Douglas)
Organization: University of Oklahoma, Engineering Computer Network, Norman, OK
Lines: 39

In article <9320@microsoft.UUCP> camilleg@microsoft.UUCP (Camille Goudeseune) writes:
>Here's my two bits' worth.  From age 6 to about 16 I had quite accurate
>perfect pitch, then lost it (as in I'd be right in guessing a random note
>played by someone on the piano 1 time in 3) until about a year ago, and
>now still have it (age 23).  My main instrument is piano, if that makes
>a difference.
>
>But my "resolution" is only a bit tighter than a quarter tone.  On the
>other hand, a cellist friend of mine at U of Waterloo (Canada) can tune
>his pride and joy darn near perfectly without aid of an external pitch
>reference;  but his sight-singing ability is almost nonexistent!
>My theory is that either ten years of tuning a 220 Hz A string has ingrained
>that pitch permanently in his head, or that he can hear the slightly
>different harmonics produced by its body (same cello for quite a few
>years) at slightly different frequencies.
>
>Any similar experiences out there?
>
>	Camille Goudeseune
>	uunet!microsoft!camilleg



   I think it is the ten years of tuning at 220 hz string.  I know that I can
    come pretty close to accurate tuning on my viola (which, although tuned
    higher than a cello, is close to the cello in that both have the strings:
    C, G, D, and A).

    Once you tune the A string it is easy to get the other strings tuned with
    exceptional accuracy.

    It would be nice to have perfect pitch.  I say that I can accurately tune 
    a viola but I can only occasionally tune it COMPLETELY accurately.  Usually
    it's a few half steps off.

    Collin Douglas

    cbdougla@uokmax.ecn.uoknor.edu
Q