Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!usc!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!bloom-beacon!eru!hagbard!sunic!mcsun!ukc!mucs!logitek!hrc63!mrcu!yj05 From: yj05@mrcu (Steve Collier) Newsgroups: comp.music Subject: Re: Perfect Pitch Message-ID: <886@mrcu> Date: 3 Apr 91 14:35:27 GMT References: <3qaBZ2w164w@arkham.wimsey.bc.ca> <3744@ssc-bee.ssc-vax.UUCP> <1991Mar27.122408@Think.COM> Reply-To: yj05@uk.co.gec-mrc (Steve Collier) Organization: GEC-Marconi Research Centre, Great Baddow, UK Lines: 46 kathy@Think.COM (Kathy Viksne) writes (and others have recently talked in a similar vein): > People who claim that they >have "developed" the "skill" of perfect pitch generally have one or two >notes that they can reference everything else off of. This happens with >instrumentalists in bands and orchestras who constantly are given the >tuning note, and they become conditioned to hear that note. I >personally do not consider that perfect pitch, but I don't know what it >*would* be called, since I don't know what "causes" perfect pitch to >begin with, nor how it works. I just know I have it. A recent textbook (Boff, Kaufman, Thomas (1986) Handbook of Perception and Human Performance) refers to a number of old studies. I quote: "Some of the more comprehensive among the older studies were done by Bachem (1937, 1940, 1954). He examined a large number of people who claimed to have absolute pitch. ..he established three categories of people: (1) those with genuine absolute pitch, [presumably intends to mean hereditary] (2) those with acquired absolute pitch, and (3) those with imagined absolute pitch. People in the first category can make absolute pitch judgements quickly (within two seconds) and accurately..Those in the second category are slower.. and seem to use some learned reference such as a concert 'A'..or vocal chord position. Those in the third category show average errors of five to nine semitones, which is close to random performance... "Prolonged training to recognize a certain tone proved not only to help subsequent recognition of that tone when presented in a larger context, but improved pitch identification across the board (Cuddy, 1968)... "Absolute pitch may not be exceptional, but rather may represent an extreme on a scale of musical ability. *It is not known whether all these phenomenological differences represent differences in physiology** [my emphasis], although there is some indication (Bachem, 1937) that absolute pitch requires an innate ability combined with proper exposure and training during a critical development period at an early age." This last is hardly an up-to-date reference. Can anyone help? This is beginning to sound like the interminable wrangle over nature vs. nurture in intelligence. -- Steve Collier | Tel: +44 245 73331 x 3233 GEC-Marconi Research Centre | Fax: +44 245 75244 Telex: 995016 GECRES G GEC-Marconi Ltd, Great Baddow | uucp: !mcvax!ukc!gec-mrc!collier Chelmsford,Essex. UK CM2 8HN | Other: collier@uk.co.gec-mrc