Absolute And Relative Pitch: Factors Into The Origin And Acquisition

Absolute pitch (AP) is a relatively untouched field of study within music. Not much is known about its origins or what factors may potentially affect the probability of a musician possessing AP. A survey was sent to the students-l email list to ask for responses to a participant survey. For the Factors Experiment, background information was obtained from the people who finished the survey and the data was analyzed for significant differences. Analyses to test for positive change in pitch recognition from the start to the end of a program designed to develop AP were conducted for the Development Experiment. The results from the Factors Experiment indicate the factors that affect an individual developing AP in their early childhood while the results of the Development Experiment suggest whether or not AP can be developed in musicians after early childhood. Results will be presented at IMSAloquium. These results add to the limited understanding of AP as a musical phenomenon by verifying which factors influence its development and its ability to be learned in adulthood. This can be helpful for musicians who hope to develop AP to further their musical careers