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[sunflower]

waiyean:

sunflower:

Yup! People with perfect pitch has difficulty adjusting to \"out of tune\" performances. They will \"see\" sharps and flats all over the place on the \"score\" in the head! Some really can get headache. It's a \"curse\" and \"blessing\" at the same time.

I'm really not sure whether it's possible for people with perfect pitch to \"train\" for relative pitch. It seems that they don’t really feel the necessity for it as they could already hear everything they see and vice versa. It's usually those without this gift that need to depend on relative pitch to help them in the various aspects of musical learning.

I would think that it's possible for people with perfect pitch to learn relative pitch. My DD's aural teacher used to train her to listen and identify various intervals, ie. major & minor 2nds, 3rds, 4ths, etc. Also she will listen to a series of notes, and has to sing it in another starting note. She is still not well grounded in her theory yet to do all this using perfect pitch.

When I wrote about perfect and relative pitch, it’s in the context of identifying individual notes. These abilities are not “must have”, but are added advantage. Anyone, if properly trained, can identify chords and intervals well.

[waiyean]

sunflower:

waiyean:

[quote=\"sunflower\"]
Yup! People with perfect pitch has difficulty adjusting to \"out of tune\" performances. They will \"see\" sharps and flats all over the place on the \"score\" in the head! Some really can get headache. It's a \"curse\" and \"blessing\" at the same time.

I'm really not sure whether it's possible for people with perfect pitch to \"train\" for relative pitch. It seems that they don’t really feel the necessity for it as they could already hear everything they see and vice versa. It's usually those without this gift that need to depend on relative pitch to help them in the various aspects of musical learning.

I would think that it's possible for people with perfect pitch to learn relative pitch. My DD's aural teacher used to train her to listen and identify various intervals, ie. major & minor 2nds, 3rds, 4ths, etc. Also she will listen to a series of notes, and has to sing it in another starting note. She is still not well grounded in her theory yet to do all this using perfect pitch.

When I wrote about perfect and relative pitch, it’s in the context of identifying individual notes. These abilities are not “must have”, but are added advantage. Anyone, if properly trained, can identify chords and intervals well.[/quote]Relative pitch involves knowing a note from a reference point, and that includes ability to identify intervals between notes. You are absolutely right to say that anyone, and that includes people with perfect pitch, can be trained to do that.

[sunflower]

waiyean:

sunflower:

[quote=\"waiyean\"]
I would think that it's possible for people with perfect pitch to learn relative pitch. My DD's aural teacher used to train her to listen and identify various intervals, ie. major & minor 2nds, 3rds, 4ths, etc. Also she will listen to a series of notes, and has to sing it in another starting note. She is still not well grounded in her theory yet to do all this using perfect pitch.

When I wrote about perfect and relative pitch, it’s in the context of identifying individual notes. These abilities are not “must have”, but are added advantage. Anyone, if properly trained, can identify chords and intervals well.

Relative pitch involves knowing a note from a reference point, and that includes ability to identify intervals between notes. You are absolutely right to say that anyone, and that includes people with perfect pitch, can be trained to do that.[/quote]Well, I’m not sure whether you really understood. It’s easy to identify intervals just by hearing if you already have perfect pitch, no need the “help” of relative pitch. It’s quite complex to explain in writing how it works.

I have friends with perfect pitch and others with very good relative pitch, and from what they described, the mechanisms they employ when hearing music are really very different.

Just as what Dreamaurora has shared 3 posts back, it’s not impossible, but just harder.

Cheers!

[waiyean]

sunflower:

Well, I’m not sure whether you really understood. It’s easy to identify intervals just by hearing if you already have perfect pitch, no need the “help” of relative pitch. It’s quite complex to explain in writing how it works.

I have friends with perfect pitch and others with very good relative pitch, and from what they described, the mechanisms they employ when hearing music are really very different.

I wasn't saying that the mechanism is the same. It's easy to identify intervals with perfect pitch if you have good grasp of theory. However for a 4-5 yo child with less than grade 3 theory, it may not be that easy to identify the interval between, say Eb and C. Even with the theory knowledge, it may involve a bit of counting before the child identifies the interval. But, one who recognizes the 6th interval (relative pitch), will be able to tell at once.

What I am trying to say is, there are certain things that are more efficiently handled by relative pitch rather than perfect pitch. Hence there is value for a child with perfect pitch to be trained in relative pitching. Of course it is not a necessity, but it's good to have.

Cheers.

[sunflower]

waiyean:

sunflower:

Well, I’m not sure whether you really understood. It’s easy to identify intervals just by hearing if you already have perfect pitch, no need the “help” of relative pitch. It’s quite complex to explain in writing how it works.

I have friends with perfect pitch and others with very good relative pitch, and from what they described, the mechanisms they employ when hearing music are really very different.

I wasn't saying that the mechanism is the same. It's easy to identify intervals with perfect pitch if you have good grasp of theory. However for a 4-5 yo child with less than grade 3 theory, it may not be that easy to identify the interval between, say Eb and C. Even with the theory knowledge, it may involve a bit of counting before the child identifies the interval. But, one who recognizes the 6th interval (relative pitch), will be able to tell at once.

What I am trying to say is, there are certain things that are more efficiently handled by relative pitch rather than perfect pitch. Hence there is value for a child with perfect pitch to be trained in relative pitching. Of course it is not a necessity, but it's good to have.

Cheers.

Seriously, I do not know how a child’s brain works and how a child understands and associates sounds. I guess at this young age, the association between hearing and understanding of what those sounds mean is still developing. I don’t have perfect pitch neither do I have very good relative pitch, however, I still can identify intervals and chords pretty well.

We used to have to write down the exact notes of the intervals /chords or a musical phrase being played, and having perfect pitch really helped, as it was very much faster and more efficient. Having very good relative pitch helped too, though slightly slower because got to keep making reference to the “Do” or the note before.

Sounds like your child is developing well musically. All the best to his/her music learning journey.

Cheers!

[quizo99]

Hi

my 8 yr old dd has been with this tr since 4, now has to stop due to tr going overseas. my fren recommend ano tr, we did a trial…this tr says the notes in do-re-mi, my dd prev tr says c-d-e…so any difference in saying otherwise? my dd doing grade 4 now…so when do scales, the new tr ll say now g-major scale, and says start at so,…

not a music person, totally clueless, can someone assist here…

[Dreamaurora]

quizo99:

Hi

my 8 yr old dd has been with this tr since 4, now has to stop due to tr going overseas. my fren recommend ano tr, we did a trial...this tr says the notes in do-re-mi, my dd prev tr says c-d-e....so any difference in saying otherwise? my dd doing grade 4 now...so when do scales, the new tr ll say now g-major scale, and says start at so,.....

not a music person, totally clueless, can someone assist here...

Seems like the new teacher uses the 'fixed do' system. Actually it does not really matter as each teacher has his/her own preference when it comes to orally notate a note. If your dd gets confused, you could gently ask the teacher to consider using the previous teacher's system with your dd instead.

[quizo99]

Dreamaurora:

quizo99:

Hi

my 8 yr old dd has been with this tr since 4, now has to stop due to tr going overseas. my fren recommend ano tr, we did a trial...this tr says the notes in do-re-mi, my dd prev tr says c-d-e....so any difference in saying otherwise? my dd doing grade 4 now...so when do scales, the new tr ll say now g-major scale, and says start at so,.....

not a music person, totally clueless, can someone assist here...

Seems like the new teacher uses the 'fixed do' system. Actually it does not really matter as each teacher has his/her own preference when it comes to orally notate a note. If your dd gets confused, you could gently ask the teacher to consider using the previous teacher's system with your dd instead.

Thanks, Dreamaurora.
Ya. my dd sure gets confused now, she says she dunno what note the tr was saying. she need to go through the sequence.
i am not sure if its alright,cos i thought the score sheets usually use c-d-e notation instead of do-re-mi.

[Dreamaurora]

quizo99:

Thanks, Dreamaurora.
Ya. my dd sure gets confused now, she says she dunno what note the tr was saying. she need to go through the sequence.
i am not sure if its alright,cos i thought the score sheets usually use c-d-e notation instead of do-re-mi.

Only if you are playing pop sheet music then they will use letters for the chords so the pianists can easily add improvise extra notes.

Generally, easier for pianists to think in terms of letters though the ability to sing well in solfege is definitely useful as well especially for aural. Instrumentalists and vocalists prefer to use solfege rather than letters.

[phoenix8]

Hi Dreamaurora,

Although I use moveable do re mi, I still cannot pitch accurately. is it because the starting "do" is inaccurate? How to practise until perfect??