Perfect pitch

[smithwood]

I often don't tell musicans that i have pp, as they assume that i'm arrogant and start to treat me differently.

 

[Krummhorn]

I often don't tell musicans that i have pp, as they assume that i'm arrogant and start to treat me differently.

You're absolutely right you know ... when I casually mention it, I then get "tested" by people playing various notes for me to guess what they are.

Years ago I was the accompanist for a soprano who was also blessed with PP ... several pieces she performed started out with voice only - she was able to "pick" out those starting notes from memory every time.

Other times though, it does come in handy ... recently for our Christmas Eve service, the pastor requested a handbell fanfare to start the service similar to one he had heard on YT. The choir director and I listened to the music and I was able to pick out all the sequential notes that were being played ... and came up with a plan to present to the handbell ringers. The end result at that service was astounding.

 

[teddy]

Hello smithwood and welcome to the forum. Sounds like we might have another jazz fan.

teddy

 

[Contratrombone64]

These days instrument tuning is set with A above middle C at a frequency of 440Hz, in the baroque period it was "somewhere near" 415 Hz (they didn't have so much in the way of sophisticated equipment to get the exact frequency every time) 415.3 Hz is G#/Ab in modern tuning so Mat is correct if going by present day tuning standards. He was given no clue that the piece was played in Baroque period tuning, as I said in my post above Colin was sneaky!

I'm afraid you are totally wrong on this one ... each town in Europe had its own pitch and none of them were ever the same. There was no way of defining (accurately) how many cycles per second a note is. A 440 is simply convenient, by the way, not all modern orchestras tune to 440, some like it slightly sharp or flat.

Mozart had perfect pitch, as an example, and his life must have been a mysery as each city he visited from German to Italy would have had a diffent local pitch. I too have perfect pitch and it's a curse, trust me.

 

[JHC]

Hi David long time on see, I do remember reading about the different towns having different pitches but being old and feeble of mind had not remembered, thanks for jogging the old gray meter.
I was wondering how you were faring with all the heat and fires those poor people..... at least we only get earth quakes and volcanoes, nice to hear from you again. :cheers: