Wives tales ... violin tuning

[Tom Servinsky]

Better yet.. the next time someone says they have perfect pitch, understand the gist of what they are saying and don't make a big deal of it. No sense of trying to split hairs with a trend that has been in place much longer than you and I have been on this earth. Why argue for the sake of arguing.
Tom Servinsky
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Matthew Todd 
  To: Pianotech List 
  Sent: Tuesday, July 01, 2008 8:43 AM
  Subject: Re: Wives tales ... violin tuning


  I agree with you Tom.  That is a good way to put it.  My only point is that you either have perfect pitch or you do not.  Some people do have an unusually acute sense of pitch memory who are surprisingly accurate.  But then, they would have to be accurate on 100% of the notes, 100% of the time in order to have what some people call "perfect pitch".  You are right that it is a learned technique.  That also proves that this learned behavior is not perfect.  After all, if you have perfect pitch, then why practice?

  The next time someone says to you "practice makes perfect", you say to them, "If practice makes perfect, and no one is perfect, then why practice?"  Practice does make better, as in the learned technique of pitch memory.


  Matthew

  Tom Servinsky <tompiano at bellsouth.net> wrote:
    Matthew,
    The term " Perfect Pitch" has been an accepted terminology to describe acute pitch memory. The term " Perfect Pitch" was ill-conceived from a nomenclature perspective and should have been named " Pitch memory".   The term was originally aimed at defining those who have an unusually acute sense of pitch memory. Some who are surprisingly accurate, whether we choose to agree with it or not.I'm convinced that pitch memory is a learned technique. From years as being a symphony musician my sense of pitch memory is surprisingly good ,when and only when I have my instrument in hand and playing. When I listen to other clarinetist I can spot any note equally well. However when I'm out of the playing mode way of thinking, my pitch is at best relative. Go figure!
    Tom Servinsky
      ----- Original Message ----- 
      From: Matthew Todd 
      To: Pianotech List 
      Sent: Monday, June 30, 2008 8:57 AM
      Subject: Re: Wives tales ... violin tuning


      There is no such thing as PERFECT pitch, only relative pitch.  It someone had perfect pitch, it would mean it would have to be perfect, and besides Jesus Christ, I have yet to see a human that was perfect.  If indeed this customer had perfect pitch, they could be able to tell you that the note was four cents flat.  But because she said the note sounded like a "d", it is relative.

      Matthew

      Richard Brekne <ricb at pianostemmer.no> wrote:
        Yes... a good sense of relative pitch memory is an interesting thing 
        indeed. Its just that it would be best for all concerned if it were kept 
        better in perspective... i.e. words like Perfect and Absolute left out 
        of it. Severely extreme cases of pitch sensitivity are more a handicap 
        then an asset. Fortunately... there are very very few on this planet 
        that actually suffer to that degree....and correspondingly few that 
        could with any hint of justification fnyss at someone else for erring 
        <> pitchwise.

        Cheers
        RicB


        I had a customer a few days ago, whose piano I tuned 2 years ago. 
        She played some notes and said how flat they were...the piano in
        general sounded reasonable. I got started and the piano was indeed
        about 4 cents flat and 7 in the treble. When done I asked her if
        she had perfect pitch...wasn't sure. I played a D and she said that
        sounded like a D...pretty cool...

        David Ilvedson, RPT
        Pacifica, CA 94044





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