Park's Perfect Pitch Video

[DrKnockOut99]

I wish my parents got me to do this. The younger you are, the quicker you learn so learning pitch could have been a breeze

[halomaster1218]

This Boy is amazing lol

[Flextones]

He does this well. He needs encouragement to continue developing his skills. We have not really had a great composer in this country in a long time. Leonard Bernstein was good and always felt inadequate. Pierre Boulez is not as good. The rest of them are not successful because the abilty to inspire is lacking. The composer who can inspire will bring us back to good music before the world ends.

[sunshinegirl1967]

That steel spatula has a G undertone. I heard that stronger than that high B.

[sunshinegirl1967]

Hi, I have perfect pitch too. Tell Park that my toothbrush also hums middle C! Also tell Park he is lucky to have parents that actually know what AP is. Mine didn't. I was 13 before my sister found out what it was and told me about it. (We got in plenty of arguments over her singing in the wrong key so she knew something was different about me.)

[yoonyeseo12]

This is the real perfect pitch~! Recognize any tones from any instruments. I used to have that until middle school,but I developed my relative pitch since I couldn 't sing in the school's qoir. (But, still I have really good ears :) Play by ears~!

[keelan111]

Please, in the name of god, get this kid on a strict diet of Mozart, Bach and Chopin, asap. Also, encourage him to write little ditties on that kiddy piano featured in the video. We might have a great composer on our hands here.

[DoctorBudd]

And one more thing, no I am not using relative pitch, thank you very much! Relative pitch is recognizing whether a chord is major, minor, augmented, diminished, etc. Relative pitch is a separate but complementary skill to perfect pitch, to all you "naysayers" out there! I'm telling you people, perfect pitch is not for the weak or lazy, it's something you gotta really want to have. Not just wish, you gotta earn it. That's all I have to say about that. Good luck!

[DoctorBudd]

I mean, it's just 12 proportionate frequencies that repeat. So this may sound a bit' over the average person's head...Let me put it this way, I'm pretty sure you know more than 12 people...right? Ok. Good. Let me ask you another question. Can you not distinguish all of their voices from one another? Perfect pitch is just a more refined version of this. It's a cognitive skill that is purely psychological. People act like it's attributed to a genetic physiological difference in the brain. HA! No.

[simpsons225]

I'm actually a kind of a proof that you can learn that stuff. For about a week now I've been practicing perfect pitch by using trigger tunes and most of the time I'm able to distinguish and name at least all the white keys in the middle octave.

[DoctorBudd]

With all my rambling and rhetoric I hope you didn't get confused, because that is exactly what I was trying to say! OK here's my background, I'm not of European/Asian/African descent, I am Native American. We were not previously exposed to the 12-tone western scale until the late 15th century or early 16th century, no genetic predisposition at all! This skill is not genetic. It's purely psychological and I have learned it at the age of 20. It's not fully understood though, PP that is.

[simpsons225]

Yeah, I get you alright. I'd like to know how you developed AP, did you use trigger tunes as well and how/often did you practice?

[DoctorBudd]

Well, I really don't use the trigger tune thingy. I was just saying that it can be learned. I learned it by listening to what burge had to say about Perfect Pitch and what it is. After I got what I need to know I just deviated from his regimen and taught myself. This may sound crazy, but all I did was look away from the piano and hit random notes and attempt to guess at 'em. After awhile certain tones just started jumping out! I learned each note gradually, starting out with D and so on.

[DoctorBudd]

O yeah, I forgot to mention that with the trigger tuning thing you mentioned, just stop that. It prevents any real progress. Because you gotta stop and think about it, after the note was played. With true PP you don't have to think about it. This is just a cheap trick. You don't get to have the various types of perfect pitch skills such as: aural recall or universal PP using the trigger tune method. You need to encode the proportionate frequencies of each note into your implicit memory.

[simpsons225]

Well, I can name the notes pretty much a split second after I hear them 'cause I don't have to think about them. That's why it's trigger tunes, it's all subliminal and I know for sure what it is when I easily recognizse it. It's much easier to grasp than "encoding frequencies into memory".

[DoctorBudd]

Really? Huh, that's cool! But yeah, you forgot to say implicit memory! That my friend is how we type without thinking about where the exact location of each key is. In my experience, exploiting that little psychological mechanism has never let me down, not just with typing or PP, but many other things as well, but that's a whole different subject. But on the whole practice thing, it took me about 2 cumulative hours a day for six months to achieve PP.

[simpsons225]

Oh, I didn't really read that "implicit" thing before memory haha. But I guess that's what I was refering to before. Either way, I will learn this.

[DoctorBudd]

Well buddy, I wish you the best of luck and I hope you achieve it just as I did! I was just saying how I got it. Remember, the sky is the limit!

[SousukePanic]

@DoctorBudd ye kinda like u said bout typing, but i used trigger tuning early on, then found out when it came to being able to tell apart multiple notes and chords it got to long and annoyingl ol, so after that i started just trying to recognize the tones i found it easier to do it in that order

[DoctorBudd]

Hey to all of those people out there that wonder if you can acquire perfect pitch. You can! I don't completely have it, but I got all the same notes that the kid did. You just gotta localize/recognize the frequencies of each note. It's not a skill that only the elite can have. Humans can store memories of their 5 senses. And last time I checked you do not have to be genetically endowed for a skill like this... I mean come on! Everyone's already got it! See next comment.

[spark448]

Kevin, It's a good skill to have even if you don't study mucic. I have pp as well and found out at the age of 2. The annoying part is noise or tones when you are everywhere and the pitch will be off alittle. The same with alot of popular music isn't pp, it's off and therefore annoying

[wesleyroyer]

Amazing a kid that age with perfect pitch. I wish I was as good as that. I have been trying for almost a year now and still can't get it as fast as he can. I take about 10-15 seconds to recognize things. I can recognize chords better. Still, that kid is awesome!

[BillyBoyerPiano]

But you can recognize a tone without reference? Still better than me.

[Limabean231]

actually, most people with true perfect pitch get it really early, when they are toddlers. but probably better than 98% of the musicians out there.

[Limabean231]

this was supposed to be a reply to another comment, i wasn't talking about the video, you have an extremely talented kid by the way

[xRandomnessRocksx]

I have perfect pitch apparently - well, according to both my music teachers. I can name notes and chords upon hearing them, although I didn't realise I had it at that age. =]

[hybridgenesis21]

This kid has skill! On a second note, I developed this naturally, but it annoys the hell outa me when I try to play two different instruments in different keys, such as the saxophone and trombone. Luckily for me, I have it in tune with concert pitch. :)

If you want to know how I got it, its a long story. It took years of nurturing, and then all of a sudden, I realized that I had perfect pitch when I was calling sazophone notes wrong with my private lesson teacher.

[seahyimin]

nice, very accurate. it's very useful for playing by ear and playing the violin haha

[SuprTyphoon]

HAHA that kid is amazing. I have perfect pitch too (and he got every note right) and it's so useful for playing music. But in the real world, it annoys the hell out of me because i'm always trying to figure out what random pitches are.

[qwertypluss]

SAME HERE!!

[aaronmarek]

holy cow. this is great. too bad my parents aren't interested in music like that.

[robasoar]

congratulations ! wonderful !

I am very curious if he sees/feels colors associated with pitch, could you ask him please and ask what colors he feels for which pitch.

[qwertypluss]

i have perfect pitch, i don't think i have synesthesia, but i have a few "quirks" - the most salient ones of which are:

I "feel" red at D

blue at B

and this s the strongest one: turquoise at B flat

Random, i know!

[robasoar]

interesting... i' made a chart of colors and chords and was wondering if others think the same, what 4 note chord would you associate with the 3 primary colors, red, blue and yellow? i have blue as bflatM7, red as Cminor(M7) and yellow as E6/9(omit5)...

[qwertypluss]

it definitely is interesting. i've obviously done some research about it and i found that different people associate a particular sense with different senses. Unfortunately if I think of colours, i don't associate them with pitches: when i think of blue, i hear rustling, red, thumping and yellow, wailing.

[bistro39]

I've heard of making a color chart as an AP(absolute pitch) exercise, but from my research people with AP don't associate visual colors with pitches. But rather ear pitch has a distinct "chroma" or "tone-color". I don't have AP, though so I can't speak from personal experience.

[dazzelya]

I've done the color chart exercise. It's not actually to link a note or pitch to a color but just as a pitch discrimination exercise. All you do is listen more closely. I had to do it and the explanation was given afterwards.

[bistro39]

Are you using the David Lucas Burge Perfect Pitch Ear Training Supercourse? How's that going?

[dazzelya]

Yeah I am, it's going fine though I haven't been doing my exercises daily. I did some last night after watching a couple vids. I'm going to do them again today and try to to them daily. I don't have PP yet but I am hearing in more detail already.

[BillyBoyerPiano]

yeah watching vids like this really gets you motivated, doesn't it?

I'm doing David Lucas perfect pitch AND relative pitch courses at the same time. The relative pitch course is really good, and I've definitely learned from it. The PP course I haven't learned much yet but I haven't been practicing very much lately. Good luck. If you start learning AP, let me know!

[dazzelya]

It does motivate! I also have the relative pitch course and I'll also try to do them together since Mr. Lucas encourages it. I'm going to listen to the first lesson today.

[TuMira85]

Lucas burge is a rambling faggot.

[dazzelya]

And you are a ranting idiot apparently :)

[TuMira85]

buuuuuuuurn. I may be an idiot, but at least i didn't pay $800 for 10 cd's of lispy high school stories and meandering bullshit. Point in case, if you don't have perfect pitch by 22, you're fucked.

[dazzelya]

Who says I paid $800 for it? ;)

He does talk a shitload but I have learned a lot from him.

People develop PP at ANY age if enough effort it put into it. I don't quite have absolute pitch yet but I am able to recognize and name notes/pitches. As long as I keep at it I see no obstacles in obtaining it. If you want to be one of the ignorant fuckers who believes otherwise. Be my guest. Some people are born with an edge and seem to 'have it'. Other people create their edge and obtain it. :)

[DoctorBudd]

If David Lucas Burge is a con, he is a pretty messed up con-artist! Because I got what I wanted to learn with my "$800" that you speak of. Seriously, Perfect Pitch is no joke, if you want that awesome shiny skill, you gotta work your butt off for it! Perfect Pitch is not for the musically weak! So quit spreading libel about the guy, I know he's fruity as ever, but look past that. He goes through all the trouble of telling you what timbre and pitch is and what is physically. Don't be ignorant!

[TuMira85]

I disagree! I also like exclamation marks! They make angry statements look neutral! There is a difference between this kid's natural born ability and your artificial trained one! Also your a faggot and so is david lucas burge! penis!

[DoctorBudd]

Dude, you sound like a troll. Exclamation mark! But seriously, inborn or not, I got it! Don't hate!

[TuMira85]

Hate! Hate hate hate! hate! hate! hate! I am a very good troll, and honestly, i probably am trolling by now!

[DoctorBudd]

Yeah, but I bet you can't troll better than me! 'Cause I can talk some crap if I want, but I'm trying to actually tell people that perfect pitch is not reserved for the genetically inclined. But seriously, you aren't gonna offend me, I happen to troll myself and know all the hallmarks of one, so troll someone else that'll actually get pissed off! You get no rises out of me!

[D0ug16]

Regardless of the superhuman nature of a child developing perfect pitch -- you need to foster it... You have no IDEA how much any given musician would give to have PP... Very very nice to see this vid :)

[ki1121]

Absolutely..we're working on it. ...incidentally, I know about the envy...I am a musician and I wish I had it.

[D0ug16]

There is a course you can buy (for about $800) that will teach you perfect pitch. Its by David Lucas Burge... You might consider getting this for Park, or yourself. (Or dnl'd the torrent)

[akaCharlieG]

Its not 800 i got it for 160

well worth it... I'm only a month in though..

[D0ug16]

Sorry, I was thinking about Finale 2008 when I typed the $800.

[moonliteforest]

whoa! great!!!

[ITOLDUDA]

Get him a violin, piano.... or even a guitar and get him started now. He will be a amazing. Before i started my ear training my playing was terrible. Now that I have trained ears, I couldn't 'hear' my true playing.. and how bad it was. Once I could truly hear it, I started improving much faster.

[NickyVeee]

this kid is gonna be great when he grows up, and will be a musical genius too.

[antillmusic]

Best pp demonstration on youtube, five stars for your son.

antill

[lucos911]

And just to add my grain of salt this is my view on the diff.between PP and rel.P. Perfect pitch would be like knowing all the words in the Webster. Relative pitch is what makes you put themm in the right order and in the right sentence and context.

[lucos911]

GREAT!!! perfect pitch is a rare talent even in the case of single notes. This kid will probably also be able to name complex chords in the near future and THAT is the real deal and also where a training in RELATIVE PITCH would be a great asset to him.

[qwertypluss]

dont you just feel sooo jealous. I do - but then again, i should be grateful as he may diversify into someone who can produce excellent musicv =) for my ears only

[lucos911]

Why are you jealous if you have PP yourself? I am a musician and I dont have it (well sometimes I do surprise myself with a perfect 440 A). Although I do recognise a minor or 7th or major chord because my RP is good. Dont forget music is how you arrange a bunch of perfect pitches in a relative way.

[lucos911]

Remember when you learned music in grade school(probably recorder) the first melody you learned was actually the scale and most people recognise this as they do any melody, notes arranged in a relative way with specific intervals. everybody can SING a major scale, but not two of them will start on the same note, except the lucky ones with PP

[lucos911]

Another interesting point (sorry I am volubile)is that we (westerners) have ears that recognize 1/2 tone and full tone intervals where easterners (India for ex.) recognize down to 1/4 and 1/8th tones, somebody with PP down there is a bloody genius.

[qwertypluss]

you are spot on. i am indian but born in england so i dont think my pp is that consummate. i was just wondering, if you compose music, how you would go about doing it, and how good you are at replicating pieces by ear. thanks!

[lucos911]

I do compose, and I dont read music,I just have a very good ear(relative pitch) and a great musical memory, I play about 300 pieces(all styles) by ear and have about 80 compos (some short and unfinished and some long) I still remember themes or riffs I came up with 20 years ago and still working on them.

[lucos911]

I say I dont read music but actually I do read it like a kid in kindergarden reads english, when very motivated to learn a piece impossible to learn by ear i'll get down to it and it may take months but ill figure it out with the help of a recording of that piece off course.

[qwertypluss]

you seem like a very talented individual =). Since I don't have very good relative pitch, does that mean, instead of recognising a particular note, you can detect various keys relative to eachother: hence play a piece by ear, even if it is transposed to a certain extent?

[lucos911]

I remember melodies and chord paterns, Since I have no formal musical training I cannot transpose ON THE SPOT like a pro. I dont have PP(cannot name a note just by hearing it)but if someone starts a song I've heard only once on the wrong note it will bug my ears till corrected to the right tone.

[lucos911]

As for scales and chords I think THIS is the time to talk about colors(as in moods rather than red or blue) , the minor mode is usually associated with sadness or romance,, major with seriousness or affirmation. For ex, a Military March will usually start in minor and modulate to major with a fast pace to motivate the troops, A funeral march will start in major and modulate to its relative minor to end in sadness...

[lucos911]

and the most sad southern blues is usually played in minor7th or if it is played in major , the solos will play in the minor blues scale which gives it is sad color.

[superjoelucky12]

your son has a good choice of shirt! :P

its suprising how easy kids can actually pick this up, im trying to learn perfect pitch or even relative pitch but im not even close yet

[kerbleh92]

i know mgpvii. the refrence note is in their head. they memorize it.

[mgpvii]

Okay...If that is the case how would you distinguish between who has relative vs perfect pitch. According to you both can hum or tell a note without hearing a note played (the relative note). So what would you do ask them - "Do you have a note memorized in your head". That is perfect pitch the ability to recall any note from memory. Please talk when you know what you are talking about.

[ki1121]

You may be right - but I'll tell you watching him do it, it doesn't seem like he's memorized one or a set of notes and works up or down from there. It's much weirder than that...similar to me just looking at a color and knowing what color it is. I know that's grossly oversimplified, but it does seem that fundamental and natural....and it is weird and never off..

[qwertypluss]

YES. excellent description: it may seem grossly oversimplified, however i think the description is how it feels to me. how can you tell between a lightre or darker shade of blue, when they are completely different? thats how ppl with pp can distinguish between higher and lower octaves of a particular note. I have perfect pitch and your description is very precise, and its gross oversimplification is justified: as this is how it feels. Distinguishing a certain note, is natural and feels innate.

[b3nc3]

I totally agree with ki1121. It's a big deal anyway.. cos it's very important to give a chance to kids to learn music easily, with fun.

[kerbleh92]

mgpvil, you are thinking of Relative Pitch. Where you can relate any note back to one you have memorized. Perfect pitch is more natural than relative pitch.

[mgpvii]

Ahhhh.......no. I am talking about perfect pitch. He can tell me what any note played is and hum any note without any reference note.

[jkb052088]

i think it is possible to learn perfect pitch myself. i have really really good relative pitch and it gets stronger everyday i take time to do ear training. i was playing a game similar to this thursday i ran around fiquring out pitches of objects and am really close to tapping into my perfect pitch maybe one day

[mgpvii]

I think people make a bigger deal about perfect pitch than it really is. It is not needed to be a good musician and I don't think it is as much as a natural ability as people think. I also taught my son to have perfect pitch. I started him at age of 5 and just played the 440 note (A) a few minutes a day. He repeated it and then moved on to a few more notes and whaalaa...perect pitch. Get a kid early enough and they can learn alot. Look how they absorb languages so early.

[ki1121]

I'm glad you don't think it's a big deal and want to tell us all. Incidentally, I put those stickers on his keyboard probably 2 weeks before this video..he probably played it in total 20 minutes that period of time, and then could name anything (his toothbrush vibrates in C). It is a weird thing, and it isn't trained.

Anyway...I only put this up originally so family members could see it..I'll probably take it down, I wasn't intending to show him off or something silly like you imply.

[mgpvii]

Take it easy killer. Wasn't trying to burst your bubble as "you imply". It's just that people make a really big deal about my son being able to do it also and I think it's only as rare as it is because not many people are exposed to it at an early age. Read a recent article that it is a combination of having a certain gene and early age development. It's having that combination that makes it unique.

[ki1121]

people make a big deal about your son because it's 1 in 10,000 - which is what that same article says..

[TuMira85]

I'm kind of a big deal.

[Sabiano]

Boy am I jealous right now! :P

[jonnham]

I hope I can learn someday.  He's excellent

[scarbo22]

Hey, get Park a real piano and lessons--fast!!

[Elconceive]

Park's Perfect Pitch, I like it.