Mozart, Freddy Mercury, Brian Wilson or Miles Davis. Apart from an undoubted musical talent, something else united these geniuses of the history of music: absolute pitch. Traditionally it has been considered to be an innate ability, but it doesn't have to be that way. It is also possible to train it. The musical studies they can be the best space in which to train to achieve it.
What is absolute pitch?
Perfect pitch goes beyond what has usually been considered good musical ear. Those who own it can identify an isolated auditory stimulus without a reference auditory stimulus. What does this mean? How does the musical ear of people who enjoy this gift work?
On the one hand, those who own it can play a melody heard only once. Furthermore, they are able to identify musical notes in isolation. Similarly, they have the ability to identify the tones of a musical composition.
In principle, everything seems to indicate that it is an advantage for the musician. This seems to be indicated by numerous studies such as those developed in the scientific journal Psychonomic Society by KE Eaton and MH Siegel, who state that “it is generally an advantage for the musician, since it helps him to tune the instrument, to play at first sight accurately and easily and to know how a melody will sound just by reading the sheet music".
However, there are reports that contradict this conception. En The psychology of music (1982), WD Ward and EM Burns point out that these qualities are also shared by people who do not have this gift and even refer to previous experiments that highlight a lack of flexibility in those who do.
In any case, it should not be confused with the good musical ear, two concepts that traditionally do not separate each other. He perfect pitch is possessed by 1 in 10.000 peoples, that is to say, it is a rather extraordinary ability.
However, it is common to believe that all people capable of playing a melody after hearing it only once have perfect pitch. And that is nuanced. Many of the artists need to be given a reference tone to interpret the theme. In this case it would be relative pitch.
Which ear hears music better?
Beyond perfect pitch, this complex and sensitive organ, capable of interpreting the sounds we hear, is full of amazing features. For example, did you know that one of our ears hears people's conversations better?
That was the conclusion of a joint study on hearing conducted by the University of California at Los Angeles and the University of Arizona. And one of the most surprising results of this research is knowing which ear hears music better.
What this scientific study has shown is that the right ear is better adapted for listening to music, while the left ear picks up speech sounds better.
The research lasted six years and consisted of issuing two different kinds of sounds to more than 3.000 newborns. The result was clear: each ear processes certain sounds better and it is the right our musical ear.
music ear test
Each person is aware of their particular relationship with music, of whether they have a good musical ear. But it did not stop being a simple perception until now. because the Biomedical Engineering faculty at Harvard University has developed a digital test that allows you to check how your musical ear works and even if you have perfect pitch.
This virtual test, developed by researchers from the North American university, can be completed by anyone in this link. The test assesses the auditory ability to distinguish musical tones and rhythms.
The test consists of hear different tones and assess the tonal differences perceived by the listener. A quick and simple formula that allows you to determine if the person who performs it has a good musical ear.
"He who listens to music feels that his loneliness is suddenly populated", wrote the English poet Robert Browning. TAI She bets in her training projects to stimulate musical learning, knowing that the arts have the capacity to transform society. And the results are very encouraging, as demonstrated by the success of Raquel López, alumni of TAI, and bassist of the award-winning group Gins. Also iImportant members of the music industry, such as the producer Rafa sardina, winner of 17 Grammy Awards, or lulo perez, producer of artists such as Alejandro Sanz or Joaquín Sabina, have visited the school and given the keys to everything that surrounds the world of music.
