Perfect Pitch

Who among you actually HAS it?
And please—spare me the "I've experienced this a million times" comments. If I want to learn anything about total deafness, I need to hear from someone speaking from actual experience.

I actually do. Honestly, I can eyeball frequencies without even picking up a tuner, haha.

Now, does that mean I know a thing or two about harmony too?

Here’s something you’re probably going to hate:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuI0dLKK2P8

But, on the flip side, here is something you might actually enjoy, haha.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4qK20344cU

Charles Parker36 said:I actually have it. I can probably guess the frequencies without even picking up a meter—ha.

Do I know anything about harmony? Honestly, I’ve picked up a thing or two—though "knowing" is a pretty strong word when you consider how much of music theory is just people making rules after the fact to sound smart. It's all just layers and tension, really. If you want to get into the weeds of it, I can talk, but don't expect me to start singing like some Broadway star.

I'm about to post something that isn't going to go over well:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuI0dLKK2P8

And here’s something you might actually enjoy—haha.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4qK20344cU

Do you actually have Perfect Pitch?

AP? Are we talking about an amplifier? Or maybe an access pointer?

Charles Parker36 said:AP? Like an amplifier? Or maybe an access pointer?

Perfect Pitch

Look, just put two three-way speakers next to me and I’ll tell you exactly which one has a blown tweeter—without even getting close.

And honestly, how was anyone actually taught to listen to music? My specific preferences don't mean a thing to you anyway.

I know my way around tracker-based production—from Atari days to ProTracker on Amiga—by heart. But my ears are tuned for harmony, not chaos. And no, I'm not talking about repetitive sequences; staring at the same dot over and over isn't the same thing.

Anyway, check out this profile:

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=briansredd

It's not mine... but you'll find some interesting stuff in there.

But I don't think you can define it like that—after all, tastes are subjective, right? Personally, I tend to show off a bit, and if you actually nailed my pitch... nobody would get the joke. It'd probably take you years for people to catch on. Or maybe I'm just an upgraded version of the original... like most of us who notice something, we immediately start realizing it within ourselves. Just a quirk of human instinct.

As for music, all I can say is: we're all kind of circling back to our roots. There isn't much more to it than that.

DJing is basically like a cashier at a grocery store. They can be pleasant, or they can be totally obnoxious.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6KpXWmi590

It's just a game, but you still walk away with data. You just have to decode it.

What I'm really curious about is how the human being reached that realization where they actually enjoy music? That transition is what interests me.

And when does the enjoyment stop?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YeX5KLEg6II
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9tq6JZwdv0

Kenneth Lee16 said:Look, let me tell you—if you put two three-way speakers next to me, I’ll be able to tell you exactly which one has a blown tweeter before I even step foot near them.

So, it really comes down to how someone was actually taught to listen to music, doesn't it? My specific settings don't seem to matter much to you.

I’ve been working with tracker-based music since the Atari days through Pro Tracker on the Amiga... I know it by heart. But my ears are tuned for harmony, not for pure chaos. And when I say that, I don't mean just listening to repetitive sequences—that's not the same thing as staring at a single, unmoving point.

Anyway, check out this profile:

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=briansredd

It isn't mine... but you'll see some interesting things in there.

But I don't think you can define it that way—you know, they say you can't argue with taste? Personally, I tend to show off a little, and if you actually managed to nail the pitch... well, nobody would take you seriously. It would probably take you years for people to get the joke. Or maybe I'm just what you'd call an "improved version" of the original... like most of us who notice something, we immediately start realizing it within ourselves. It's just the nature of instinct.

As for music itself, I'd just say: we all eventually find our way back to our roots. There isn't much more to say than that.

A DJ is a lot like a cashier at a grocery store. They can be perfectly pleasant, or they can be absolutely obnoxious.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6KpXWmi590

This is just a game, but it provides data. You just have to decipher it...

What I'm truly curious about is how the human being reached that realization where they actually derive pleasure from music? That transition is what fascinates me.

And when does that enjoyment finally stop?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YeX5KLEg6II
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9tq6JZwdv0

😵

By the way, Perfect Pitch is something you can actually learn and practice—provided you have the right ears for it.🙂

Alright, give me your thoughts on this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtnG6EHh1N4

Turn it up. Listen closely. 🙂

Jason Chavez32 said:😵

Look, you can actually train yourself to have Perfect Pitch if you've got decent ears to begin with. It’s all about practice. 🙂

And honestly? I couldn't care less about trying to match a guitar solo. Just isn't my thing. Besides, I play how I feel. I wake up, I'm in whatever mood I'm in, and that's how the music goes.

Perfect Pitch for what? A single note? Why are we even sweating this anymore... the era of the legendary rock star is dead and buried.

stormywolf39 said:Alright, let's get into this. Here's my take.

I can't believe I'm even sitting here typing this out, but someone had to say it. I just watched that video—you know the one—and honestly? It’s a mess. A complete, unmitigated disaster from start to finish. It reminds me of those old, low-budget documentaries you'd see on some local cable access channel in a midwestern town at 3:00 AM—lots of shouting, zero substance, and a whole lot of wasted film. It’s like watching a car crash in slow motion. You want to look away because it’s painful, but you can’t help but stare because the sheer incompetence is almost impressive in its own twisted way. They’re trying to make a point, sure, but they’re building their argument on a foundation of sand. It’s all fluff. No structure. No logic. Just noise. And don't even get me started on the production quality. It feels amateurish. It’s like they handed a professional camera to a toddler and told them to "make art." If you're going to try and lecture people on serious topics, at least have the decency to show up prepared. You can't just stumble through a script and expect us to take you seriously. It’s insulting, really. It’s an insult to anyone with half a brain cell who actually values their time.

Listen closely. I mean, really listen. Turn that volume up. 🙂

I’ve seen it all before. Honestly, I used to have all that gear sitting right in my own living room. Back then, everything was just... saturated with distortion. Too much of it. It’s like trying to listen to a conversation through a wall of static—you lose the nuance, you lose the soul. I might be leaning a bit too hard into that particular side of things myself lately, but whatever. What I actually want to get into is voice recognition. That's where the real interest lies for me.

What exactly are you looking for from me—why did you decide to quote my post? 🤷

Jason Chavez32 said:What exactly are you looking for here? Why even bother quoting me? 🤷

If you were actually a woman, you’d understand how nature works, haha.

Are you taking anything specific to manage your Tourette's symptoms? 🤷

Sarah Moore86 said:So, which one of you actually possesses it?

👋

Sarah Moore86 said:So, who among you actually has it?
Skip the comments saying "this happened a million times before." This is really the only way to get some firsthand insight into Perfect Pitch.

I don't really see why anyone thinks they have the authority to lecture others on Perfect Pitch.
Do you even know what Perfect Pitch is?

Here’s what the universities are saying about it:

Perfect Pitch and tonal deafness.

Some people have this ability to identify and name a musical pitch without any external reference point. It’s an incredibly rare trait, estimated to be held by only about 1% of the population. When people talk about having Perfect Pitch, they aren't referring to the skill of identifying a note relative to a baseline—like the lowest note someone can sing, for instance. It's something else entirely.

Rakowski (1972) conducted a study involving two groups: one consisting of individuals believed to possess that rare gift of Perfect Pitch, and a control group. Participants were asked to match a variable tone based on how much time had passed since they heard a reference tone. As the time intervals grew longer, the "average" participants saw a significant drop in accuracy; I suppose their mental auditory image of the pitch just fades away. However, those with Perfect Pitch could still recall the exact pitch using some sort of internal reference, allowing them to match the test tone accurately even after a delay. If the reference tone followed the standard musical scale (A=440 Hz), they didn't miss at all. These individuals seem unable to adopt a new standard; for instance, they might perceive a 1000 Hz tone as being slightly lower than a C. Given the standard 440 Hz reference for an "A," the frequency for a C would be 1046 Hz. You can improve your ability to memorize pitch through training, but it’s never going to come close to the natural ability seen in those born with it. It seems like a skill acquired in early childhood by essentially "recording" a limited set of tonal standards. Ward (1970) argues the opposite, though—suggesting we are all born with this capacity, but spend our lives being conditioned to rely on relative pitch instead.

The term "tone deafness" feels like an exaggeration. Most people can actually sense the difference between two pitches if the frequency gap is wide enough. The issue is usually that many people struggle to reproduce a specific note through singing, especially when it falls outside their natural speaking range. There are also those who can hear that two tones aren't identical, yet they can't quite tell which one is higher or lower. I suppose this ability can be significantly improved with practice. It often turns out that people who claim they "can't carry a tune" are actually capable of hearing very subtle pitch variations. It seems to me that the ability to perceive pitch is partly innate and partly learned.

I suppose there's still a balance remaining. The research on Perfect Pitch suggests that while it might seem like a superpower, it’s probably more about how the brain processes sound than some mystical gift. I guess there's a difference between actually hearing the note and just being able to categorize it quickly. Maybe it's just an incredibly efficient way of organizing auditory data. It’s interesting, I suppose, how much of this depends on early exposure to music. Some people seem wired for it, while others just have a very keen ear. It doesn't necessarily mean they're better musicians, though. Just different.

From what I’ve seen, larger choirs often rely on people with Perfect Pitch to catch subtle mistakes—the kind of tiny nuances that a regular ear might just miss. I guess it happens more than you'd think.

I once heard a theory during a discussion among some music enthusiasts regarding people with Perfect Pitch. The idea was that having such an ability might actually make it harder to enjoy music compared to the average listener. I suppose I can't say for sure if that's true, though there’s a certain logic to it, I guess.

In the States, I'm pretty sure someone like Quincy Jones would have it.

Eric Moore32 said:People with Perfect Pitch often find that larger choirs will actually use them to fix those tiny little errors—well, nuances, I guess—that the average ear just can't pick up

Man, what good is having Perfect Pitch when you're stuck playing a cheap synthesizer? :tadaaaam:

Just sitting here listening to some tunes through my speakers 🤷

I get all that—really, I do—but there’s one thing that just won't click for me. When someone with perfect pitch hears a chord, are they actually hearing every individual note within it? And do they see those sounds as colors (I think I read somewhere that's a real thing)? Like, does the whole song take on a specific primary hue? Hendrix once mentioned he basically builds his letters based on "color" when people were digging into how he structures his songwriting. It makes me wonder... how does that sense of hearing manifest outside of music? Is it just everything, all dialed up to eleven?

If you ask me, he’s just hearing things—total auditory hallucinations, if you want my two cents. 😵

Raymond Barrett12 said:I honestly think he’s just hearing things. 😵

..or maybe he's seeing colors? 😉🤮