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Why perfect pitch isn't worth wanting: Adam Neely on absolute and relative pitch

Adam NeelyRecommended by 6 people on Hacker News, 2021–2025
YouTube
2.5M views · 5 years ago · talk

What absolute pitch actually is, how it differs from untrained and quasi-absolute pitch, why trained relative pitch matters more to working musicians, and the downsides of perfect pitch, including drift with age.

Clears up a common myth and points ear training toward relative pitch, the skill you can actually build.

  1. 0:00 Intro (tests for AP)
  2. 2:00 AP defined
  3. 3:17 Untrained Pitch vs. Absolute Pitch
  4. 4:29 Quasi Absolute Pitch
  5. 6:47 Relative Pitch
  6. 9:22 Why You Don't Want Perfect Pitch

1 comment from Hacker News

@mkr-hn Recommends it · View on HN

The good news for people without perfect pitch who feel bad about it is that people who learn relative pitch retain it for life while perfect pitch declines precipitously with age.

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