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Concept
Absolute pitch
Summary
Absolute pitch (AP), often called perfect pitch, is the ability to identify or re-create a given musical note without the benefit of a reference tone. AP may be demonstrated using linguistic labelling ("naming" a note), associating mental imagery with the note, or sensorimotor responses. For example, an AP possessor can accurately reproduce a heard tone on a musical instrument without "hunting" for the correct pitch.
The frequency of AP in the general population is not known. A proportion of 1 in 10,000 is widely reported, but not supported by evidence; a 2019 review indicated a prevalence of at least 4% amongst music students.
Generally, absolute pitch implies some or all of these abilities, achieved without a reference tone:
Identify by name individual pitches played on various instruments.
Name the key of a given piece of tonal music.
Identify and name all the tones of a given chord or other tonal mass.
Name the pitches of common everyday sounds such as car horns and alarms.
The allied ability to sing a note on demand, which by itself is termed "perfect pitch", appears to be much rarer.
Absolute pitch is separate from relative pitch. While the ability to name specific pitches might be used to identify intervals, relative pitch would identify the interval directly by its sound. Absolute pitch may complement relative pitch in musical listening and practice, but it can also interfere with its development.
Adults who possess relative pitch but do not already have absolute pitch can learn "pseudo-absolute pitch" and become able to identify notes in a way that superficially resembles absolute pitch. Some people have been able to develop accurate pitch identification in adulthood, through training.
Scientific studies of absolute pitch commenced by the 19th century, focusing on the phenomenon of musical pitch and methods of measuring it. It would have been difficult for the notion of absolute pitch to have formed earlier because pitch references were not consistent.
Official source
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