The Perfect Pitch Ear

What is Perfect Pitch? Page 2

Continuing from page 1, we know that musicians who have perfect pitch hear differences in “quality”, we might even say timbre, between the notes. We know a composer might choose the key of E flat for a sorrowful piece and F sharp for something more jubilant. So how does this fit in with the harmonic spectra of the notes when we know this to be determined by the instrument? Well, the shocking, but obvious truth is that there is no physical difference in “quality” between the different notes. In fact, if there were, we would have measured it decades ago and there would be no mystery surrounding perfect pitch. The perceived difference between the notes is due to the frequency response and resonant frequencies of the human ear.

Like a microphone, the human ear can hear some frequencies better than others and contains certain parts, which are able to resonate strongly at particular frequencies. Any tonal sound entering the ear involves a wide range of harmonic frequencies, which set the whole machine in motion. The result is that we perceive some frequencies as much louder than others when, in fact, they have the same physical loudness. The perception of harmonics needs to be understood to learn and improve the acuity of the ear, which will allow you to get perfect pitch

The above graph (source:Wikipedia) shows the equal loudness response for the human ear, which is much the same for all people. Look at the bottom red line, it shows how loud the sound needed to be so that it could be heard by the test subjects. The sound at 20 Hz had to be played at over 70 dB SPL to be heard, while a sound of 1000 Hz could be heard at around 3 dB. The ear is most sensitive at 4000 Hz and a sound at 30 Hz has to be almost one million times as powerful as one at 4 kHz to be perceived the same.

The dips in the graph show the resonances of the ear, which are a result of the combination of resonating parts. For example, the auditory canal has a resonance at about 3 kHz. Other considerations are the vibration of the eardrum, the bones in the middle ear, and the complex behavior of the cochlea.

Of course, the equal loudness response of the ear is only part of the story of human hearing. There are many other phenomena going on when the ear is subjected to multiple frequencies, which is just about all the time. For example, the extent to which one frequency is masked by another depends greatly on the pitch of these frequencies.

In conclusion, perfect pitch is about the perceived spectra of the harmonics of the notes. On the one hand, there is the physical harmonic spectrum of a tonal sound. On the other, there is an internal spectrum from the response of the ear. The complexity of the human brain is really second to none and those who have perfect pitch are simply able to tune in to the spectrum of the sound resulting from the resonances of the ear and can distinguish this from the physical spectrum created by the instrument. The main reason that perfect pitch is so rare is that we tend to fixate on the fundamental pitch of the notes and, as musicians, the harmonics are not regarded with as much importance. To hear with perfect pitch, you need to be able to listen to the harmonics, which is a skill like any other and can be learned until it is second nature. The Perfect Pitch Simulator is the only tool of its kind in the world and can help you on the way to hearing those harmonics and achieving the musical ear you have always wanted.

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