Demystifying Perfect Pitch
In an attempt to demystify the term perfect pitch, or
absolute pitch, a scientific basis must be established. One of the criteria for
absolute pitch is accurately singing a
named note without a reference. Since this is the criterion that
people typically find most difficult to achieve on the road to perfect pitch,
it deserves a closer look.
First, singing is required. Since perfect pitch
requires this ability, any scientific approach should include the production of
pitch by voice. The question is how accurate?
Second, the term “without a reference” implies the
time. To be able to identify a pitch by its name, you must have heard a
reference sound before. The question is how long before?
If we want to make a scientific statement, it must be
measurable and reproducible. Combining the above two points, we have to fix one
point, so we can gradually measure the other.
Measuring abilities is always subject to uncertainty,
since the person being tested is always subject to his or her current
productivity. Therefore, repeatedly testing and basing the results on
statistical analysis is a common approach.
Introducing the Pitch Ability Test
To allow the test to return a single indicator for the
ability, the test uses for the first criterion a fixed accuracy and uses the
second criterion to evaluate the ability in seconds. The test measures the time
in a similar way as the height in high-jump sports gets measured. This method
seems unconventional, but it allows you to measure the retention time of pitch
with enough precision. If you select a low enough time, you will always pass;
if you come to your limits, the results will start to vary.
The most important point of the test is that it
measures your transition from aural to mental pitch control. Since the test
requires a silent period, you must have stored the pitch mentally. Taking over
a pitch while you hear it is usually done aurally. That is, you control the
pitch aurally. However, after a period of silence, you are forced to produce
the sound mentally from memory.
The term “without a reference” is usually interpreted
as eternal. However, in a test we don’t have unlimited time. Therefore, the
test proposes Felix’s Pitch Point as an upper limit for the test. Felix’s Pitch
Point is set at 4 minutes. Four minutes is enough to prove that the transition
to mental pitch control has taken place.
Taking into account the above discussion, I have
developed The Pitch Ability Test. The test is free and can be downloaded for
Windows and Macintosh.
Interpreting the test
results
The test tells you, scientifically, where you stand on
the road to absolute pitch based on the criteria “Accurately sing a named note
without a reference”. With this test, you can estimate the necessary effort needed
to improve your absolute pitch ability. Since relative pitch is much more
important than absolute pitch, the test also should facilitate the decision
whether trying to attain perfect pitch is worth the effort. In other words, should
you spend some time doing absolute pitch training but keep the bulk of the time
for other musical activities?
For more information visit: http://www.pitch-ability-test.com
or watch the introductory video on https://youtu.be/6v6GmnTHGds
.
