Papa Blows His Nose in G: Absolute Pitch by Oliver Sacks

Papa Blows His Nose in G: Absolute Pitch by Oliver Sacks

Thesis Statement

In “Papa Blows His Nose in G: Absolute Pitch,” Sacks discovers the occurrence of absolute pitch. People with absolute pitch can directly, unthinkingly notify the pitch of any note, without either reflection or evaluation with an external standard.

Discussion

They can do this not only with any note they hear, but to any note they envisage or hear in their heads. Indeed, Gordon B., an expert violinist who composed to me about tinnitus, or buzzing in his ears, commented matter-of-factly that his tinnitus was “a high F-natural.” He did not recognize, I believe, that saying this was in any way unusual; but of the millions of persons with tinnitus, likely not one in 10 1000 could state what pitch their tinnitus has.

     The precision of absolute pitch varies, but it is approximated that most persons with it can recognise up of 70 pitches in the middle district of the auditory variety, and each of these 70 pitches has, for them, an exclusive and attribute value that distinguishes it absolutely from any other note.

     Yet such an association, though immensely outstanding, deflects vigilance from the genuine marvel of absolute pitch: to those with absolute pitch, every pitch, every key appears qualitatively distinct, each owning its own “flavor” or “feel,” its own character.  Those who have absolute pitch often contrast it to hue — they “hear” G-sharpness as instantly and mechanically as we “see” blue. (Indeed, the phrase “chroma” is occasionally utilised in melodious theory.)

While absolute pitch may sound like a delicious additional sense, permitting one to instantly vocalise or notate any melodies at its correct pitch, it may origin difficulties, too. One such difficulty happens with the inconstant tweaking of melodious ...