What About Perfect Pitch?

Is perfect pitch necessary for good musicianship? No, it is not. It is a great skill and offers some advantages to those who have it. But many (maybe even most) of the world’s greatest musicians don’t have perfect pitch. So, what’s the difference between perfect pitch (or absolute pitch) and relative pitch? Good relative pitch is required for being a good musician. It means that one can perceive correct pitch relative to other notes. Perfect pitch means the person can identify a note without reference to any other notes. You can ask them out of the clear blue to hum a B-flat and they can do it. But this skill is not required to play well in tune, something necessary for good musicianship. A good way to test someone’s relative pitch is to ask them to pitch match. Play a note on the piano or some other instrument and ask them to hum the note. With good relative pitch they should be able to match the note. In instrument playing, musicians must be able to play or sing notes that are correct relative to other notes.