Arson Smith wrote:I wouldn't call it 'perfect pitch', but if I go to my buddy's house and pick up his guitar (which he will insist is perfectly in tune) my ear can usually determine within 2 to 3 Black Sabbath riffs whether the whole guitar happens to be tuned down a half-step or more.
Whether I like it or not, through repeated exposure I can pretty much play back the first side of 'Paranoid' in my head like a tape recorder. Knowing that, I can fumble through getting the guitar tuned to almost 'concert pitch', A=440Hz, whatever you want to call it.
So it's slightly better than nothing, but I wouldn't call it 'perfect pitch' just yet because I can't exactly call out names of notes as they're played.
But maybe 'absolute pitch' is the best way to put it... for example, if I end up at karaoke at the bar down the street with my co-worker Pat, she will always want to do 'Piece Of My Heart' but she will ask to have the pitch brought down by the Karaoke Jockey (KJ?) which absolutely sets my teeth on edge, even though she sings the song perfectly well within the relative key.
That's interesting, because I think absolute pitch is partly innate and partly a matter of ëxercise- it's like a muscle in that if it isn't used alot, it gets soft and weak. These days since I really don't play music as much as I used to, the whole process of identification takes longer. However, when I was 20 and jammed in a band 4 days a week, I could literally hear something- anything and could visualize how to play it on the guitar in seconds. I can do this still, but it takes more time and concentration and I'm sure if I began playing more it would become easier.