What a Person With Perfect Pitch Wants to Tell You

This rare gift is truly a blessing and a curse.

Absolute pitch, also called perfect pitch, is the ability to distinguish and re-create a note without any reference. Which means, yes: people who possess perfect pitch may or may not be able to tell you the note that your microwave is beeping at. Though this ability can be seen as remarkable to others, I personally have a few things I need to get off my chest about this.

1. Getting “tested” to see whether or not I have perfect pitch is annoying

Not only that, but it puts pressure on me to get it right, or people will deny my ability to tell them the correct pitch or chord. News flash: I get the answer wrong a few times if you catch me off guard or I’m tired. But it is fun to occasionally get tested by my friends and then I test them back in return. Fun fact: I knew something was different about my pitch abilities since I first stepped into a music class in elementary school, but I did not know it was absolute pitch until my friends in chorus tested me daily. 

1. Sometimes I get off pitch, it happens!

What people need to understand is that having perfect pitch ≠ being on pitch 100% of the time. I have a tendency to sing too sharp or too flat, and I am completely aware that I’m off pitch. My perfect pitch does not end where my singing abilities begin.

1. I don’t like taking control of any rehearsals or musical projects

I hate having to call out when the pitch is wrong. I reserve my callouts for emergencies only (it only happened twice within 5 years). I do not think it is fair to determine somebody’s leadership skills according to their ability to tell notes apart from each other.

1. I’m not pursuing a career in music

Even though I am currently an active cover artist, I do not see myself further diving into the world of professional music. Even though music is a huge part of my life, I have other passions I want to explore.

1. I don’t talk about having perfect pitch a lot

This is hypocritical, right? But I don’t want that to be my only personality trait, there is more to me other than having perfect pitch. Usually I say it when I have nothing else to say for an icebreaker or my friends show me off to other people (it makes me feel rather warm, honestly). 

Now since that’s out of the way, does anyone want to know the pitch of their vacuum?

• music
• pitch