kendall, I know what you mean -- it is "painful" to listen to music or to play on an instrument that is badly out of tune (and cannot be adjusted easily, like a piano). A little bit out is okay -- makes the music sound "human" rather than computerized! But to be "out" say an eighth of a tone or more is a different story.

In essence, music is mathematical -- quite the "exact" science. When two notes are at exactly the same pitch (or exactly an octave/fifth etc apart) the sound-waves "synchronize", and the tones resonate much more deeply and satisfyingly for the listener. It's like the two (or more) tones become one sound, amplifying one another.   Poor intonation diminishes this effect, and VERY poor intonation destroys it completely.

I think this is true even for people with absolutely no musical experience. That's why even those who consider themselves "tone-deaf" can usually tell when music sounds "bad" or "off"! For people "blessed" with perfect pitch, or those who've mastered "relative" pitch, it can become downright intolerable.

As one of those "blessed" ones, I agree with Cluin that I probably do tune my instrument more often because I love that satisfying resonance precision creates. ANd when I am jamming with others, I do ask people to re-tune if they are badly out - because it does sound so much better! HOwever, when I'm listening to others it doesn't bother me at all if they're not tuned exactly to concert pitch (A 440), as long as they are reasonably in tune with themselves and each other.

Perfect pitch has a few advantages -- like being able to play by ear easily. It has it's drawbacks too. I have to do a few extra mental shenanigans to play on a transposing instrument, or use a capo on my guitar, or sight-sing a melody written in one key but performed in another. On the guitar, when I feel my fingers playing a G chord but I am hearing a D for example, it's very confusing at first. Takes practice to get used to it -- and at those times I envy those "less blessed" ones who can transpose so easily. IT must sound exactly the same to them, then! I've always wondered about that ....

Because I've been playing the piano even longer than guitar, my ear-muscle memory is even stronger on that instrument. I REALLY mess up on pianos that are badly flat or sharp -- like a whole tone or more out. If I'm playing C, but hearing Bb, my fingers automatically move to the Bb chord unless I do a LOT of mental "re-arranging". So I make a lot of mistakes, and sound like doo-doo .... it's a very weird thing ...

I've been wondering lately if the musical "learning procedures" are different for people who have perfect pitch. What I'm hearing seems to be MUCH more important in guiding my fingers as I play than it does for others.

ANy thoughts on this, Martin?

daylia