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To: VOCALIST <vocalist>
Date sent: Sat, 5 Feb 2000 22:44:55 -0000
Subject: RE: Perfect Pitch was: Arias Transposed
Send reply to: VOCALIST <vocalist>

I believe perfect pitch to be an in-built ability in everyone.

I can not claim to have perfect pitch, although my pitch recognition
is getting better as I get to know the names of tones. I was self
taught, non sight reading in music until one year ago.

I certainly pleased myself this evening when I wanted to learn how to
play Aguas de Marco ( waters of march ) by Antonio Carlos Jobim.
I sang the first few words and said to myself, hmm, that sounds like
C#, A and off I went. Well, not perfect pitch by any means, but it is
much better pitch recognition by name than I had twelve months
ago.

My belief is that those who seem to be 'born with' perfect pitch have
for one reason or another become relaxed and accustomed to the
different 'flavour', 'feel', or 'colour' - call it what you will of the various
tones - they have also had some musical instruction of some sort
which teaches them the musical notation names of those tones so
that they can then name each tone they hear. A relaxed approach, I
feel, is very much the secret. A mind and ear held in tension is
much less likely to feel the subtle colours than a relaxed ear and a
relaxed approach.

As for scientific studies suggesting that people with perfect pitch
have one area of their brain which is larger than in others, I am quite
ready to believe that to be true, but I am also aware that the brain
can be retrained. I mean that whatever area of the brain is used for
pitch recognition can be cultivated - more easily at a very young
age, but still possible in later life. I get a very real sensation that I
would not be able to learn jazz music improvisation in the way I am
doing now had I not given up my 9 to 5 'computer expert' job. My
brain simply is not big enough to house thousands of little bits of
computer knowledge and all the bits of musical knowledge at the
same time - I am just not that clever. Studies of Einstein's brain
have suggested that a mathematical area of his brain had
'annexed' an adjoining part of the brain which was less often used
so that it could be used for mathematics too. I plan to slowly get my
brain to use up all the grey matter it used to use to figure out the
complex Unix operating system for music. If my theory is right, I
might even find a little bit of grey matter that is willing to work out
pitches for me.

John


John Cheshire
AKA A Baritone....... Who, little me?