Sometimes I demonstrate competencies I forget that I have

[xiphias]

This morning, Nora gave out a high-pitched mew. Lis said, "I wonder what note that was?" I thought about it, and said, "G over high C."

Then I wondered if I was right, so googled around for someone playing a G over high C, played it, and I was spot-on -- that was EXACTLY the note.

I don't have perfect pitch, but I try to carry middle C around with me, and then I can work off of that to figure out other notes. And it worked.

Comments

[rymrytr.livejournal.com]

Feels good to be right on! :o)

I spent my "phone time", helping the public when I worked in County Government, listening to accents. Then I would ask them if they were from here or there... and after some years, I could get within a State or two, (with the occasional "right on the mark"), on the nuances of the American east coast, south and over into OK and TX. I enjoyed that very much!

[greenlily.livejournal.com]

Awesome. "Perfect pitch" is such an annoying term...it makes it sound as though "really really good pitch" isn't helpful at all, which most of the time it actually is.

(your kitty is a soprano! awwww.)

[xiphias.livejournal.com]

Both our kitties are sopranos. Well, Nicky's a castrato, technically.

[thnidu.livejournal.com]

Holy smoke! -- I never thought about that, but of course it stands to reason that an intrinsic sense of pitch need not be perfect. (Envy, envy.)

[xiphias.livejournal.com]

No reason to be jealous. It's a learnable skill, not an innate talent.  Actually,  I think it was greenlilly who taught it to me.  You hit middle C on a piano every time you walk past one and eventually, you remember what it sounds like.  Then, you just work from there, ideally by remembering what your intervals sound like, or, failing that, singing do - re - mi.