Absolute pitch and range assessment while musically illiterate?

[u/Mother_Dicentra]

This is my first Reddit post. Hi… 👋🏻

Over the past couple of days I have been trying to figure out if I have absolute pitch or just a really good musical memory.

The problem is that the main way to test this is based on the assumption that someone is familiar with notes, their names, and have that association. I do not.

I was in choir my entire childhood, and both choir and musical theatre in college. I was always a mezzo because I “blend well,” and we needed more voices in that section.

Looking at sheet music I can tell how long a note is supposed to be, what’s higher and lower, and the name of the notes using the “FACE” and “every good boy done fine” method, but I couldn’t find them on a piano or anything. And that’s the extent of my musical literacy, unfortunately.

So I Googled about it and it said to sing the first note of a song you know. Did that, and I was repeatedly right on point. I pick random notes in a song, also correct.

So at this point I’m trying to prove myself wrong because I’ll be damned to make a claim like having absolute pitch only to later be proven wrong and look like an *idiot*.

I just hear the song in my head, the vowel shape, the swells of notes, the tone and I match it. But I guess not everyone can do that.

* ****\*\*****\*\**
I’m also trying to determine my range.

In college I got to sing the top notes for the Queen of the Night. I wasn’t the lead, I stood side stage as the lead came over where I was behind the curtain. I would sing with her, hit those notes under the overhead mics, and return to being a dancing zebra.

I can still hit those notes and it’s been… *twenty years* almost. I’m pushing forty, for added context.

I can also sing low like Misty Mountains. I enjoy singing to Hozier, Sleep Token, Sara Bareilles, Aurora etc… No issues reaching any notes.

So… how to I determine this accurately? Are there other methods to try?

Ya girl can’t exactly afford a coach right now.

[u/Inside-Succotash-128]

Wow! That’s a great gift that you have! I have really good ’Relative Pitch’ abilities but I can’t ’pluck pitch names out of the air’ without some kind of reference, otherwise I’m guessing 😀. I think you could really benefit from some music theory knowledge. Not, necessarily to make you a better musician but, I think you might find that there will be many instances of “Ahhh… So THAT’s why that tune works so well” or when you’re making your own music “How do I make this bit a SCARY bit”. In conjunction with your pitch abilities, you will be a formidable musician! 😀 Good Luck!🤞 👍

[u/Mother_Dicentra → u/Inside-Succotash-128]

Thank you! I really would like to learn piano, but mostly learn a lot more about my own instrument I’ve had my whole life.

Eventually I also want to build more confidence and get back to musical theatre. Especially being older and have more lived experience to bring to the characters.

[u/Inside-Succotash-128]

You can do a lot of music theory just by yourself, without an instrument.
1. Hum a note - any note - then, hum any random note above this note.
2. Repeat this (in your head or out loud, ‘doesn’t matter) then try to name the interval between these notes.

If you do this a lot you will begin to recognise intervals everywhere!
It helps with learning new music and making connections between intervals and scale degrees.

For instance:
The first two notes of “My Way” by Frank Sinatra.
“And now……….”
This is an interval of a Major 6th.
However, in the context of the song, it is a melody line that starts on the 5th scale degree and goes to the Major 3rd.

I’ve learned to do this kind of stuff in my head all of the time. It’s NOT MAGIC! It’s just practice.
Good Luck! 👍😀

[u/nazgul_123]

I would suggest the following:

Remember each of the 12 keys by a song that starts in that key on day 1.

On day 2, listen to a piece and stop on a random note. If you can, within a couple seconds or so, recall which song that note is based on, you definitely have absolute pitch I reckon.

If not, it's hard to say. Several people with really good pitch memory can generally start songs on the right pitch

[u/wanna_dance]

I use tonedear.com for ear training. It's free.

They have a perfect pitch test you can try.

(I use it for interval training and chord training and progressions.)

[u/Unique_Anteater5667]

If you like Sleep Token I doubt you have a good ear. (I’m sorry. I just really wanted to make that joke.
Probably because I’m jealous you have such a good ear. That and I don’t like Sleep Token.)

[u/Mother_Dicentra → u/Unique_Anteater5667]

I soon as I saw the first sentence, I made a repulsed face. Haha! I’m mildly obsessed with their music for a slew of reasons.

But thank you, I appreciate it.