who cares if it is perfect pitch or not... lifestyle...

[kindablue]

I have been reading some forums about people developing perfect pitch. I was looking at the ultimate guitar forum about doing the experiment listening to a constant pitch.

http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/forum...1&page=1&pp=20

People say that isn't perfect pitch so they then shot the idea down. Really, who cares what it is. Do we need to label it? If it improves ones ear then that is all that matters. There are so many different ways to improve your ear. There is a lot of information on the web and especially on this site.

We have to understand that relative pitch, perfect pitch isn't a martial arts course that says "hey you have reached black belt, you now can hear everything you want." it really doesn't work like that. I have been training my ears for years. I can work out songs off the radio or YouTube quite easily. I haven't got perfect pitch, but if you played a note on the guitar I could 99.9% of the time get it right. It depends on the time of day and how I am feeling, if I have had enough sleep or if I am focused and my mind isn't somewhere else. When you add multiple notes to the equation then that if a whole new game.

Ear training I have found is based on memory and consistency. Have a look at improving your memory and it will help. Being consistent is the most important thing. You will never get the sound of a dominant 7 chord into your ears and memory if you don't do it everyday!!

Now as the ultimate guitar forum has pointed out in one of the posts....

"I talked to a doctor about my idea. It sounds plausible, but here's an issue. When the brain is fed a constant stimulus it'll start to ignore it. So passive listening may not work as well as I'd hoped."

This is true. Spaced learning is the key.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spaced_learning

There is a lot of information on this. Also check out

http://brainrules.net/

Some great information on how our brain works, memory and learning.

Have a routine that involves ear training for 10 minutes, then something else like exercise for 10 minutes then back to ear training for 10 minutes. Exercise helps. Being healthy, eating correctly helps. It helps your attitude. Check out the link below.

http://www.foodmatters.tv/

The last 4 months I have been on a healthy diet with regular exercise and a music routine that is consistent, my lifestyle is balanced. I have improved and learnt so much. Less stress, more work achieved. organisation of your daily activities is imperative.

You really cannot just sit at a piano and drive yourself crazy with a constant C note. Balance in your life is important.

Consistency
Spaced learning
Balance
Healthy life style and attitude
Organisation.

Thanks, just thought I’d share.

[ChristopherS]

Thanks for sharing, kindablue - really interesting!

Unfortunately the link to the UltimateGuitar forums seems to be broken?

We have to understand that relative pitch, perfect pitch isn't a martial arts course that says "hey you have reached black belt, you now can hear everything you want."

I certainly agree! Though a remarkable skill in itself, most everyone with absolute pitch will tell you that relative pitch skills are still important to them. And many who've developed absolute pitch find their skills aren't quite 'perfect'! They also require practice to maintain, like any other musical skill.


I think you're quite right that thinking about ear training in the context of your life as a whole (and even just within your musical practice habits) is vital to making progress. If you dabble here and there and just do a bit when you feel like it, you probably won't make a lot of progress. Having a daily habit, preferably at a fixed time of day, and sticking to it over a few weeks is the way to see real results.

The importance of healthy eating (by 'healthy' I just mean giving your body the steady supply of fuel it needs without overloading it) and getting good sleep every night are not to be underestimated in the learning process! The Food Matters website looks interesting, thanks for sharing the link. I'll definitely be checking out the Brain Rules videos too.

The last 4 months I have been on a healthy diet with regular exercise and a music routine that is consistent, my lifestyle is balanced. I have improved and learnt so much.

Good for you! Having healthy habits, particularly in diet and sleep patterns is no easy thing to accomplish - especially if (like me) you grew up with particularly bad attitudes to food and sleep... The nice thing is that they're so rewarding to start doing right, it's pretty easy to stick with them once you see how much more relaxing and enjoyable a way to live it is.


In a way, I think you need the stubborn 'blinkered' mindset to get yourself to do ear training or instrument practice day after day, whatever else might be going on in your life. But if you can couple that with getting the rest of your life in balance, so that you come to your practice sessions fresh, eager and energised, so much the better!