Graham English Blog Archives

Musician, Author, and Entrepreneur

Absolute Pitch Power Blogathon

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On Thursday January 19th from 7PM until 2AM EST I’ll be sitting here at my computer answering EVERY one of your questions about how to learn absolute pitch in as short a time as possible.

This is your opportunity to learn ALL of my absolute pitch shortcuts!

Here’s how it works:

Visit this post any time after 7PM EST Thursday evening and ask any question about absolute pitch in the comments area. I’ll answer EVERY question that comes in right there on the spot.

Why am I doing this?

I’m going to be completely transparent here. I want to increase my blog readership and I’m pretty sure that will happen once you see the value in subscribing to this blog.

Web 2.0 is all about open communication and participating in conversations and a blog is one of the best ways to connect with people. I’ll be writing more about how musicians can benefit from blogging soon.

So I hope you join me in the absolute pitch conversation and subscribe to this blog. 🙂

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About Graham English

Graham English is a musician, author, and entrepreneur.

Comments

  1. Cesar Saenz says

    where do I go to log onto the blog for thursday night? Do I have to register for the blog?

  2. luigi gonzo says

    tried to subcribe to the blog a few times….all I could see was a bunch of incomprehensible writing-web stuff.

    Anyway,here is my simple question: do you have absolute pitch?

  4. Robert McIndoe says

    I have been playing guitar for two years now and am very dedicated. I purchased a tuning fork lask week and have downloaded a few ways to tune my guitar using the tuning fork, any tips on tuning, ear and pitch training would be great.
    cheers

  5. shaan says

    I work during the day and have little time in evening. I really really want Absolute pitch is their a quick and easy way of acquiring this skill?

  6. Jim says

    Ok, I just want to know what you think the most powerful technique for perfect pitch is. I usually just play an A chord and then randomly choose a note to figure out. It works pretty good but Im sure you’ve got a better trick.

  7. Michael Taylor and Michelle Massey says

    Hello, waiting for reciept of goods. Believe to be lost in mail. Ordered 97$ silver package 2 weeks ago, want to confirm shipment. Can supply order number in a while.

  9. Vince says

    Good evening Mister English ?

    I’m very glad to meet You.

    Is it really the end of the tele clinics ?

    It’s the first time I participate to this kind of conference. I hope I will enjoy it.

    By the way I’m Vince, the bassist from Belgium. Where was you born ?

    I wish I had perfect pitch.

    Hear you Soon.

  10. Graham English says

    Cesar, you don’t have to login or register. Just enter your name, email and website (if you have one – free backlink!) and post your comment. Your information is kept totally private.

    I’m officially opening the Absolute Pitch Power Blogathon.

    A note to those of you who are new to RSS or don’t understand RSS or Blogging:

    Really Simple Syndication (RSS) is a technology for content distribution. RSS allows site publishers to easily distribute their information to readers; likewise, it allows readers to pull content from any site that supports RSS, without having to visit the actual site.

    For example, I keep track of over 200 RSS enabled websites in my RSS reader, NetNewsWire (ranchero.com). If I had to visit those sites each day, I couldn’t do it. But my RSS reader pulls their content directly to my computer.

    How do I subscribe to RSS feeds?

    There are many, many newsreader applications, free and paid, which allow you to use RSS files. I recommend the following:
    Mac OSX: http://www.ranchero.com/netnewswire/
    Windows XP: http://www.bradsoft.com/feeddemon/
    The newer email clients like Outlook can read RSS feeds just like you would read email. You can also subscribe to web-based services that will keep track of your RSS feeds. I prefer the stand-alone app because all I have to do is launch it and the feeds are updated.

    Still confused?

    Not sure what to do or why you’d want to use these feeds? Here’s a tutorial covering the basic of RSS/XML feed syndication, and how to use a news aggregator (often called a feed reader) to subscribe to your favorite web site:
    http://maczealots.com/articles/rss/

    That’s it… let the commenting begin!

  12. adam says

    Graham,
    I really like listening to your cds and going into kinda trance but after 6 weeks of trying to memorize the first sequence of notes CEGA and still not getting it right I just felt so dishearted. I played the sleep cd every night and even tried to memorize the four notes as part of a blues bass line by adding in a Asharp but still no good even though I carry a tuning fork around all the time. the entire exercise has turned into one of frustration as I repeatedly get notes wrong when randomly played. help!

  13. Graham English says

    Jb, I believe my course is better than Burge’s course.

    I bought Burge’s course a long time ago. The testimonials really got me excited. I listened to it whole heartedly (It’s very long – mine’s shorter – one of the reasons why I think mine is better). It was going fine at first. I already had a really strong relative pitch so I was using that a lot in the beginning. Then it started getting harder and harder and I started asking myself, “Where am I resisting that makes it so hard?” Maybe I could relax my ear and it would come to me.

    So I started using a lot of what I know about how people learn to improve upon what he taught me. His course is pretty old and doesn’t take into consideration the major advancements that have taken place in accelerated learning.

  14. Ross says

    Hi, do you consider that each note has a different character? If so, have you found that the same qualities of the same notes are heard by different people (eg. F# = bright, Eb = dull)? If not, what do you see as the point of learning AP besides using it as a party trick? I have found that I am able to recognize notes on intruments and in my own voice by their unique characteristics (characteristics are the same no matter which intrument)

    Ross

  15. Graham English says

    Oops – lost part of the post. Continued…

    His course is pretty old and doesn’t take into consideration the major advancements that have taken place in accelerated learning. <= another reason why I think my course is better. That's what made the difference. I tossed aside his dated learning technology and his verbose teaching style and followed my own method. So, in a nutshell, my course is shorter - making it faster - and more up-to-date - making it easier. Oh yeah, my course isn't as expensive as Burge's 🙂

  16. Kevin Prockup says

    I own both the Burge course and your course (since we’re already on the topic of the comparison). Is there any sort of mutual usage of the courses that you could recommend?

  17. Michael McPherson says

    Does your course require an instrument? or does it include all the sounds need to train (could I do it while traveling in my car?)

    Also, if an instrument is needed, will any instrument do? or should it be piano/keyboard?

  18. Graham English says

    Here’s the first site I found in Google about tuning your guitar:
    http://www.guitarsite.com/tuning.htm

    As for ear training, I recommend choosing an already existing method and then sticking to it. Mine’s good (absolutepitchpower.com). There’s software out there that’s good too. I use Practica Musica (www.ars-nova.com/)

    Spend at least 15 minutes a day ear training at least 5 days a week. A huge part of being a great musician is developing the art of listening. So let your ear training practice help you experience the joy of listening.

  19. Francisco Olea says

    How about a color chart put up in this site so we can identify the colors you mentioned in the lesson as well as printing the chart.

    Thanks,
    Francisco

  20. Kevin Prockup says

    I play bass in an orchestra (which is notorious for being a difficult instrument to play in tune), as well as sing in a chorus where my fellow tenors could be as much as, but not limited to, a half step flat on an given note. Will these factors hamper my ability to gain absolute pitch?

  21. Francisco Olea says

    What is the correct order to practice the lessons? Is it : Intro, partstherapy. sessions 1, 2 ,3 ,etc…. and then practice the lessons of the especific tones?……….i am kind of confused with the order i should follow……

    Thanks,
    Francisco

  22. Kevin Prockup says

    Since beginning your course, friends of mine have gotten iPods, claiming that everyone needs them. I’ll point to my head and say “I’ve already got one”. This is true, as songs have become much more vivid in my imagination, so much that I can satiate my craving for a song by just thinking about it. Have you found this to be a normal occurance for people using your course?

  23. Graham English says

    Shaan, can you commit 15 minutes a day 5 days a week? In my experience, that’s all you need. I still practice my listening skills about 30 minutes a day. I’m still systematically trying to get better. It really pays off.

    I like to focus on “quick and easy” too. That’s why I schedule it in and commit to it. That’s the only way I know how to do it. I wish there was a magic pill. But it’s just like going to the gym. Some days are harder than others. But going to gym 3 days a week for 30 minutes is better than not going at all.

    Bottom line, if you “really really want it”, then you’ll make the minimal time required to get it 🙂 Just know that it can be gotten!

  25. Kevin Prockup says

    I am stuck somewhere between beginning the course, and having absolute pitch. What is the usual progression through the stages of gaining AP, from absolute beginner through instantaneous note recognition. Please be very specific, if at all possible.
    Also, what would you say the next steps beyond just note recognition are?

  26. Graham English says

    Jim, here’s what I think the most powerful technique for absolute pitch is.

    First, spend a week or two “opening up” your listening or “unlocking” your listening. Spend a single day on each note for an entire 15 minutes. Describe what you hear outloud. Describe your experience using all 5 senses. I use a method similar to this in Absolute Pitch Power and I call it the Journey Method.

    Then, use the “inside/out” approach. Think of the note in your imagination (inside) and then hum the note or play the note on your instrument (outside). If your wrong, correct your mistake.

    Finally, use the “outside/in” approach. Listen to notes being played (outside) and then identify what you think the note is (inside). Start with single notes – don’t use recorded music unless it’s monophonic. Then move up to polyphonic music once you’re 80% correct with single tones.

    I use a combination of the last two steps in my pre-recorded Pitch Language Units.

    Hope that helps 🙂

  27. Graham English says

    Michael/Michelle, (not sure which one or both 🙂 )

    Send your email receipt to both support@absolutepitchpower.com and graham@grahamenglish.com

    I’ll make sure we put a copy in the mail to you tomorrow. Sorry for our mistake.

    PS – I play the piano/keyboards, I sing, and I play the tenor sax. As for as keyboards go, I play a Kurzweil 2600xs, Hammond XK2 and Leslie 147, Honer Clavinet D6, Wurlitzer Model 200A Electric Piano, Korg Trinity V3, and Nord Lead 2. I have a Yamaha CP70 Electric Piano and Oberheim OB8 in storage right now 🙂 I really dig the vintage keys but I do a lot of writing on various soft synths in my Mac Powerbook G4 using GarageBand and Logic Pro. Boy do I love music gear! 🙂

  28. Graham English says

    Welcome to the Blogathon Carmen 🙂

    Check out this post in regards to the ‘age’ thing:
    Ernst Terhardt Writes About Absolute Pitch

    You don’t need to memorize the pitches in the journey. That’s not the point. The point is to learn how to listen in new ways – and to become ‘aquainted’ with the individual pitches.

    You’re right in figuring that it is much easier to transcribe and memorize music with AP. And I know that there’s times when being able to sing live without a starting pitch is very useful.

    Keep us all posted on your progress!

  29. Graham English says

    Hey Vince. Glad you could make it!

    I’ll still be holding teleclinics when my schedule permits it. I’d like to do them weekly. The Blogathon is an attempt to gain some blog readership.

    So to those of you reading this, please read through my blog and if you want to be kept up to date on the world of music and if you want to get this news first, then please subscribe to my blog:
    http://www.grahamenglish.net/blog

    Vince, I was born in Mons. My dad was in the US Army and worked for Nato and he met my mom (a British citizen) while he was stationed there. I could have had dual-citizenship but then I would have had to serve in the Belgian Armed Forces! My Godparents still live there. When I make it back, I’ll look you up 🙂

  30. Graham English says

    Hey Adam, it sounds like you have version 1 of my course. If you send me an email, I’ll hook you up with a newer version. I’ve abandoned some of my previous techniques because the instructions and the method weren’t as solid as they are now. It’s a free update and I think it’s the answer to your frustrations. Here’s my email:
    graham@grahamenglish.com

  31. Ross says

    Hi, I’ve submited this already but it appeared in amongst the replies for some reason. Hopefully, you’ll see it this time.

    Do you consider that each note has a different character? If so, have you found that the same qualities of the same notes are heard by different people (eg. F# = bright, Eb = dull)? If not, what do you see as the point of learning AP besides using it as a party trick? I have found that I am able to recognize notes on intruments and in my own voice by their unique characteristics (characteristics are the same no matter which intrument)

  32. Jared Fowler says

    Graham:

    I have completed all 4 sessions, the “unlocking” track
    and each note group (C,E,G,E; C#,F#,Bb,Eb; B,D,F,Ab)
    spending 2 weeks (3 for the last session) on each. I use the sleep programming every night and actually enjoy it now.
    I am a jazz performance major in college and spend 30 minutes a day on ear training and pitch recognition. I have certainly noticed changes in my ear; I can sing an A whenever, but I still am far from Absolute Pitch.
    my question: do you recommend that I start over from the beginning, doing session 1 for a week, 2 and so on? or should i spend more time on just one note group? My problem sounds similiar to Adam’s above. Should I email you?

    Thanks
    Jared

  33. Graham English says

    Hi Ross. F# and Eb have characteristics that are easy to point out to the newbie. Beyond that, I avoid naming each note’s characteristics other than by actual note name, i.e. C, D, Eb, etc. Adding more and more mental concepts to the notes just gets in the way of simply being able to name the note when you hear it, I believe anyway.

    I think having a precise ear helps you hear and play precisely. That, to me, is much more than a party trick. I avoid ever mentioning absolute pitch in interpersonal settings because it brings up so much baggage. People can be jealous or start trying to stump you and throw you off or whatever. It’s not worth bragging about.

    But AP is worth having simply because if you can play what you hear, then you’re miles ahead of average musicians – and even some more experienced musicians.

    AP makes transcribing music and figuring out what other artists are doing much easier and faster. And again, your musical imagination is easily translated into actual music that people can listen to.

    I find that motivation to have AP is a personal thing. We all have our own reasons. Some of mine are:
    I solo better
    I write and compose better
    I arrange better
    I adapt better in live situations
    I’m not limited by habit
    I’m able to move beyond technical know how into playing what I feel
    Geez, there’s so much more 🙂

    But really I’m curious why everybody else wants AP? Please comment…

  34. Graham English says

    That’s a great question Kevin.

    If you own both courses, I would only do one at a time.

    But if you get bored easily, it might help to mix it up. Both courses are sequential – so you have to follow them step-by-step. Which means it would be farily easy to pick up where you left off if you decide to try a different method.

    But I don’t think that’s the “straight line” approach to attaining absolute pitch. It might end up taking longer that way. So I stick to my original advice and recommend doing one course at a time.

    Thanks for your question 🙂

  35. Ross says

    Good point, I just mean that very good relative pitch could enable you to do most things after an initial reference. I think all those skills are important but the main benefit I get from my perfect pitch is that when I play and listen (especially composers like Mozart), the sound seems more rich, it adds an extra dimension to the music and this specific aspect means I enjoy playing more, particularly improvising. If you don’t discuss the characteristics of the notes much then maybe you are unable to say whether everyone hears them the same way but it interests me from a psychoacoustic point of view.

  36. Graham English says

    Michael, my course doesn’t require an instrument. I wanted to make it available to anybody and that’s why I made it so you wouldn’t need an instrument. It does include all the sounds needed.

    LIABILITY DISCLAIMER
    Portions of the course you can do in the car – The Pitch Language Units specifically. BUT doing anything other than driving when you should have your attention on your driving can be dangerous. So be smart! If you have an accident because you are concentrating on anything other than your driving, I accept no liability.

    Phew! Got that out of the way.

    Have you ever learned a language while driving? If so, then you know it can be done. But if you’re in heavy trafiic or need to concentrate on the road, then obviously you should turn the audio off.

    The first couple weeks of the course are the shortest and the easiest. And they really need your undivided attention for only 15 minutes at a time. You could even do it on a break at work in private.

    But the pitch language units are perfect for long drives (about 35 minutes).

    Hope that answered your question Michael.

  37. Graham English says

    Francisco, if you purchased the course, then you have a color chart that you can print out. It’s called the Journey Worksheet and it’s available in the Journey area of the website (page 2 – Your Absolute Pitch Tools).

  38. Michael McPherson says

    Burge’s perfect pitch traing course has been brought up a lot. He also has a relative pitch training course. Does your course cover those skills also?

  39. Graham English says

    “Will these factors hamper my ability to gain absolute pitch?”

    No, just your ability to be happy 😉

    My best APP student, Jeff Lobe, is a bass player at University of North Texas. He’s really goin places!

    Work on AP on your own time and let the out of tune fools have their moment to shine too 🙂

  41. Carmen says

    I was wondering if it is easier to learn AP if you are a younger age, like how it is with a language. also, how many 15 minute sessions would you recommend spending on each pitch initially? Are you supposed to memorize the Journey before you listen to the pitches?

    ~Carmen

    PS- I wanted to learn AP because I play the string bass, and I figured that it would be much easier to transcribe or memorize music for my jazz combo at school. I also sing, and I have the most reliable Relative Pitch skills in my choir, but it would still be nice to know the starting pitch to our songs without using a piano or pitch pipe.

  42. Graham English says

    Kevin, that’s hillarious! 😀

    But you’re absolutely right. Part of having AP or what I like to call “Absolute Sound” is that you can really learn to listen to your imagination in a new way. I believe that we all have masterpieces in the depths of our imagination that we tend to squelch. It’s a constant stream of music that we can tap into and if we have prepared the ear enough to translate what we hear, then we can compose great works of art.

    Believe me, I love my iPod. But it’s really important for me to balance my listening to the outside (iPod) and listening to the inside (imagination).

    Thanks for that great insight!

  44. Vince says

    Yes I could get it !

    What a great honour to look me up, maybe to hear me or playing together, in case you come back to your birthplace. You are welcome !

    I have a mountain of questions and I don’t’ know where to start.
    I listen to your CDs (I suppose the older version) at least 5 or 6 times a week . I’m accustomed to alpha relaxing, sophrology (relaxation therapy) and so on… your way to relax people is amazingly efficient. Congrats, it’s excellent !
    It’s not my first try to gain absolute pitch I’ve got several of them.
    I’ve bought your method two and half month ago and I’m still with C E G A … and still the same frustration as one of your visitor tonight. You told him to update his older version, telling him that he won’t be frustrated anymore. I’m also interested by this update.

    Thanks to your blog I don’t feel alone anymore. Sharing experiences is maybe the best way to progress.

    I’m always practicing absolute ear training, in many different ways but without, by now, to get the Holly Grail.
    Right now for instance I’m practicing while writing and following the blog. I’m practicing with “Functional Ear Trainer.” It is really functional and it is free !
    Sometimes, and it’s a new manner I practice while listening to music (for the moment Mingus). Time to time, every two minutes for instance, I play a random C E G & A. I can practice in the same way with “Earmaster”. I hope I’m learning in a real context, but I do also meditation on one single tone.

    In fact I try all the possibilities, I try all I can do hopping to gain absolute pitch.

  45. Francisco Olea says

    Is your course compatible with pc/ibm computer or does it only work for Mac’

    Francisco

  46. Graham English says

    Kevin, are you doing any testing of your AP? This is one of the most important pieces – if not the most important piece – to ear training. AP is all about being 100% correct in any musical situation. So if you know your numbers, then you can correctly determine where you are and if you’re improving.

    This is often the most neglected part of ear training – not testing and tracking your progress.

    So the usual progression is 0% correct to finally becoming 100% correct. Up until you are 100% correct, you must practice the ear training model – which is practice, test, practice, test, etc.

    Remember, AP (being 100% correct) is a goal. And goals need to be measured.

    I don’t know if that’s the answer you were looking for. If you ARE testing, then give me the numbers along with the dates and we can talk about how well your doing and what the next steps would be.

  47. Michael McPherson says

    How long does it take a typical, diligent student to achieve perfect pitch by your method? Of course everyone is different, but could you give a reasonable “ball-park” estimate?

  48. Jim says

    Hi Graham, with your absolute pitch recognition ability, are you able to determine whether a guitar string is off pitch when you pick one up in a music store, and then tune it using your ear as a guide, or is it more of a recognition of notes that are played in properly segmented pitch intervals, in tune with concert C? Thanks… Jim

  49. Graham English says

    Ross, the comments aren’t necessarily in order. They get posted according to time, and not in sequence. I’ve answered your question above. It was a long one 🙂

  51. Graham English says

    Yeah, the psychoacoustics are interesting and worthy of research I guess. They’re not entirely useful in teaching AP, I believe, but it’s a fascinating subject.

    “the sound seems more rich, it adds an extra dimension to the music and this specific aspect means I enjoy playing more, particularly improvising”

    You hit the nail on the head.

  52. Jb says

    Hey Graham, how long was the maximum and minimun time it took someone to gain AP with your method?

  53. Graham English says

    Michael, my gold edition of APP covers relative pitch and a whole lot more.

    I aquired the exclusive rights to sell Dick Grove’s See It Hear It/Hear It Play It course.

    Grove, now deceased, created a comprehensive musicianship course.

    By his definition, an “educated ear” includes:
    1. a Melodic ear
    2. a Harmonic ear
    3. a Rhythmic ear
    4. an Orchestral ear
    5. a Stylistic ear
    6. a Thematic ear

    An educated ear can “hear what it sees”, can “see what it hears” and can execute or write down what it hears.

    So not only does it cover relative pitch, but it teaches you how to write music down on paper (a skill that only those who know how to do it can attest to its extreme importance) and also to hear whatever you can see on paper.

    “Damn,” right?!

    The details are available on absolutepitchpower.com. It’s not cheap, but I have payment plans available.

    I really don’t want to pitch on this blog, so I won’t say anymore here. The website tells it all, in my opinion.

    Pardon me 🙂

  54. Ross says

    The stage I am at is that I can tune my guitar to concert pitch no problem and I am working on recalling the notes. I’ll sing a note (usually aim for A3), if I recognize that I am not singing A3 I will sing up or down until I get to it. Then I sing down a tone to check it is definitely A. If this sounds like G to me, I then sing the A again and finally check it with a tuner. I am pretty much %100 at this but I really want to get it instantly. Have you any tips on how to imagine the note quickly and so recall it instantly?

  55. Michael McPherson says

    I was just looking at the gold edtion course you mentioned, and notice that it also contains your silver package course in addition to the Grove course. Is there an upgrade path? For example, buy your silver package first, and then later upgrade to the gold package at a reduced price (rather than needing to buy the silver package twice). 🙂

  56. Carmen says

    oh, one more thing– do you find it useful to listen to the first track on the APP CD 1 for things other than ear training? such as… studying for a test or trying to memorize something?

  57. Graham English says

    Vince, I’m going to give you the update. I think it’ll make a big difference.

    Hopefully, you’ll be offering your assistance to other beginners on this blog soon! How will that be 🙂

  59. Kevin Prockup says

    You mentioned somthing about testing. Practice, test, practice, test, and I don’t know what you’re referring to by test. Did I miss something? How would I test this? I’ve had friends at school plunk out a few notes, but I don’t think that’s the testing you’re referring to. This could also have to do wth an older version of the course. I bought mine abut this time last year, have there been significant changes that I should know about? Thanks. And also, since this is probably my last quetsion of the night, I’d like to thank you very much for having this, you’ve been incredibly helpful. I would strongly recommend holding this blog again. Thanks a lot.

  60. Graham English says

    “could you give a reasonable “ball-park” estimate?”

    Michael, I really wish I could give you a good answer. Here’s the problem…

    I can’t say for sure, but I’m guessing that about 80% of the people who buy APP don’t finish it. I’ve read similar stats about 80-90% of books that are bought but are never read. And I’ve done it too. I buy 5 books a week and read only 1 or 2 🙂

    But here’s what I can say, most people that do the testing and send in their results start seeing results – meaning improvement – within a month.

    If I had my way, and you followed my method exactly, then you would have AP in 6 weeks or less. Better yet, I wish I could say one thing to you that would unlock it for good. But a new skill, is never as strong as a polished skill.

    What I would like to see is every musician ear train for 15-30 minutes a day 5-6 days a week – ALL THROUGHOUT THEIR MUSICAL LIVES. Sorry, didn’t mean to yell 🙂

    I go to the gym regularly, and I always create new goals as I achieve my old goals. But if I stopped going to the gym, guess what would happen. My strength would decrease and I’d probably put on some fat. It’s a valid analogy.

    Sometimes I wish we could get AP just once and then be done with ear training completely. But life isn’t like that.

    For instance, in the gym, I can relax somewhat and maintain what I have. Nothing wrong with that. But I rarely just maintain because I’m a human being that thrives on improvement.

    For me, it’s the same with my ear. I can maintain a certain level of hearing by doing less ear training. But then I get inspired by new musical challenges and I raise the bar on myself.

    It’s not what most people want to hear. But it’s authentic and with just a simple change in attitude, one can take up ear training as a life long practice that’s enjoyable and fulfilling.

  61. Graham English says

    Hey Jim. If a string is a half-step off, I can tune it. E is 164.8Hz and F is 174.6Hz. At this point in time, I can’t tell the difference between 164.8Hz and 165.4Hz. But the farther away it gets, the more I notice the difference. I don’t have any exact numbers to the acute detail of my pitch recognition.

    However, it’s a future goal of mine. It doesn’t seem to have much usefulness right now for me.

    But how cool would it be if you could distinguish the difference between 164.8Hz and 164.9Hz?

    I think then I’ll start bragging about it 🙂

  62. Graham English says

    Jb, I’m guessing I’ll never know the longest time it takes somebody because I might be dead 😉

    As far as what people have told me, I think the longest it has taken someone was 9 months. The shortest time that I know for sure was 2 months.

  63. Graham English says

    Ok, so Ross, it seems that all you need to work on is speed, right? Well, let’s think of this like sports. We need to increase your timing. The first thing I would do is get a stop watch. Then I would time yourself so you know what time you need to beat.

    You seem very close to making your AP instant. Maybe just by bringing awareness to the speed will help to bridge the gap.

    There’s a thing called the Hawthorne Effect:
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawthorne_Effect
    The Hawthorne effect refers to improvements in productivity or quality which result not so much because of intended changes to working conditions, but mainly because the workers are aware of extra attention being paid to them.

    In effect, that which you measure, increases.

    Let’s see, I mean, hear what happens 🙂

  65. Graham English says

    Yeah, Carmen. I think the first track is very useful anytime you need to be in a good mental state. Especially, when you are studying, practicing, taking tests, or if you want to improve your creativity. It has so many uses. Eventually, after hearing it a number of times, you won’t even need the track. You’ll just remember what the state feels like and immediately be able to access it. It will be conditioned.

  66. Graham English says

    Kevin, email me and I’ll hook you up:
    graham@grahamenglish.com

    But here’s how you test:

    Go to:
    http://www.good-ear.com/servlet/EarTrainer?chap=7&menu=3
    Find out how many you get correct out of at least 20 tries. DO NOT USE RELATIVE PITCH. Sorry, I’m yelling again 🙂

    If you catch yourself comparing the note you are hearing to the previous tone, then stop. Let me give you a hint, if you don’t know the pitch immediately, then you’re not using absolute pitch. And that’s what you’re testing here. So just guess and move on. Just go for the feeling of certainty. And if you don’t have it. Then just guess and move on.

    By the way, this blog is always available for comments. I post ear training tips frequently so I highly recommend getting an RSS reader and subscribing my blog. That way you’ll get updated everytime I post something. And hopefully you’ll comment when you can.

    Blogging is all about community. Together, we can co-create the content on this site and maybe help some musicians out there. And I cover a lot more than just ear training. There’s so much happening right now with digital rights management and podcasting and music publishing that it’s really time to use technology to your advantage because there’s a sea of music lovers out there that are dying to get their hands on some of your music!

    Thanks a lot for participating 🙂

  67. Vince says

    Sure ! Hopefully, I’ll be offering my assistance to other beginners on this blog soon!
    How will that be

    What are the amendments in the updated version of your method ?

    I’m obliged to remain in the first set of tones C, E, G & E ? May I go further before being flawless with the first set of notes ?

    I think that if you have one note REALLY established in your mind, this means that you already have absolute pitch for the rest of the chromatic scale. It may be like having a well tuned mind, I suppose. A friend, a blind with a “born with” absolute pitch “gift” told me that sometimes it could happen that he hears all the tones half step higher or lower. But all is ok for him after he heard any note.

    I think using different methods may be good, it’s like seeing the same thing from different angles in order to better appreciate the same thing. I think it’s like learning a standard listening all the recorded version available in order to extract a part of the quintessence of the composition with the goal of creating your own version.

    I think it’s a pity to see on the internet people denigrate your method, or another author.
    A method is by itself incomplete and you can fill the gaps hearing more than only one bell sound.

    In fact you also recommend to practice the tones you are learning with an instrument.
    You recommend to test oneself, so you recommend to practice in a real context.
    Have I well understood ?

    One more Thank You !

  68. Graham English says

    Vince, version 2 is almost entirely different. We still use the Journey but I provide much more structure around it.

    You’ve understood pretty well 🙂

    Let’s get you started with APP V2!

  69. Tina E says

    Hi there. So, your course is all audio, on CD’s perhaps? I have good relative pitch, and probably that half-step-off sort of perfect/absolute pitch. I always love finding new (accessible) resources to improve my music-listening skills. I’m totally blind, and am learning to play the flute by ear. I’m also learning some about Braille Music notation along the way, but there isn’t a whole lot of beginning flute stuff that I’ve found in braille so far. I read through your website a few weeks ago or so, so I don’t remember all of the particulars, but what is that one course that comes with the gold, as opposed to silver? Is it in audio format, too? I’m thinking that once I learn enough about braille music, I’ll be able to “hear” it in my mind as I read it, or so I’m told will eventually happen. Also, any tips for memorizing music? I definitely hear it in my head as I’m playing, it’s just a matter of getting all of my fingers to work right, LOL. Whether by ear or braille music, I need to memorize in order to play.

    Thanks for having this Blogathon. It’s definitely better than instant messenging, since we can read the questions of everyone else, and the responses. Way to go!

  70. Vince says

    I know it is not easy to answer but can you announce a success rate of your method ? Keeping in mind that it is a rate concerning people who use your method assiduously till the “end”.

    It has been too much time that I’m craving for having absolute pitch that it seems out of reach. Maybe I’m doing self sabotage ?

    I think you are sensitive to this kind of recurring question. Maybe fed up of this question but it burns my lips.

    I think and imagine that it’s vital to have absolute pitch, especially for improvised music as jazz.

    I imagine how good it feels to have absolute pitch. But I wonder when and how I will gain true perfect pitch.

    Please reassure us.

  71. Graham English says

    Hi Tina. Absolute Pitch Power Standard is audio download, Absolute Pitch Power Silver is on CD plus some extras. The Gold edition comes with the Dick Grove See It Hear It/Hear It Play It course. That course is on CD, DVD, and comes with a text book, an assignment book, and an answer book. There are 12 chapters total.

    My tips for memorizing music are this:
    Use the review cycle. Which is review after 1 hour, review again after 1 day, and again after 1 week, and again after 1 month. That strategy is really effective. Also, first ideas and last ideas are most memorable so create many beginnings and endings in your practicing – if that makes sense. The ideal sequence for memorization is to first relax, and then learn. Take a break and then come back and summarize what you’ve learned so far. Take the music apart and briefly review themes, etc. Then repeat this sequence after a good night’s sleep 🙂

    I’m really interested in hearing more about learning braille music notation. Please keep us posted and come back to the blog as often as you like 🙂

  72. Vince says

    What do you think about Chris Aruffo’s methods : the older one and the new one (Absolute Pitch Blaster) ?

    Does his methods interfere negatively or positively with your method ?

    What do you thing in general of the concurrent products ?
    Especially those of your detractor, for not to mane him.

    Intend you to reiterate this blogathon ?

    You’ve done a marvellous thing.

    Too marvellous for words but maybe not for notes.

  73. Graham English says

    Vince, I wish I could give you some numbers but I can’t. The truth is that most people don’t stay in contact. I’ve been working on fixing this and this blog is one solution – a place for conversations. I’ve also put a testing mechanism in place so I can get feedback on your progress. But still, most people don’t follow through.

    Just know this, it IS possible.

    I believe that you have to be totally willing to fail. Only then will you let go enough to relax into the process. And honestly, what if you never developed AP? Would it be so bad? It’s not an absolute necessity to make beautiful music. Sure it will help and I understand your desire because I’ve felt it myself.

    So like I said in a previous comment, what I would like to see is every musician ear train for 15-30 minutes a day 5-6 days a week forever. You will improve if you do that.

  74. Graham English says

    I checked out one of Chris’s early products. I don’t even remember what I thought of it. So I can’t comment on that or his new product.

    Again, I would stick to one method at a time. I believe it’s the straight line approach. But give yourself a deadline. Make it at least 6 months out. If you want to change paths at that point, then consider your options.

    I’ll be doing more blogathons – on other subjects too. But what I would really like to see is more continuous commenting on the blog rather than a short and intense time like this. I’m just trying to get the ball rolling here tonight 🙂

  76. benny says

    i know i have perfect pitch
    but it only kicks in sometimes
    usually at the wee hours of the night
    however i have trouble hearing tones during the day
    wierd huh?
    and i only have perfect pitch for the white keys on the piano and f# sometimes
    why?
    thanks

  77. Tina E says

    Hello there, Graham, and thanks for your memorization tips. My flute teacher records the music that I’m learning, so I listen to it several times through, until I get it stuck in my head, and find myself wandering around humming it to myself, LOL. Then, I work at playing the easier phrases, and work up to the more technically challenging parts, not even necessarily in the order the song goes. So, I suppose those are my “beginnings and endings,” so to speak. Only problem, is that then in lessons, I end up stopping and starting at various points in the middle of a piece, and can put it together all the way and connect up the bits the second (or more) times through. I think it might drive my teacher a bit crazy at times, connecting the end of one bit to the beginning bit of the next phrase. So far, it seems to usually work. I end up practicing daily, and usually in a couple or few chunks throughout the day, not just all at once, and this seems to help a lot, too, in terms of being able to focus and concentrate.–Particularly since I’m NOT a morning person, more of a night owl, *grin*.

    Would you mind if I Email you a few specific questions about the standard vs. silver? With the silver, can one still download the .pdf files? I’m not sure if my computer will read those, particularly if they have a lot of graphics. Text in .pdf is usually pretty manageable these days, thanks to some of the access features in Adobe Reader 7.0. Thank goodness, it’s about time!

    I don’t want to clog up the blog with super specific questions about printed materials vs. electronic format, etc.

    Thanks again, and for info on some really neat stuff having to do with braille music, and access to music software for blind people, check out http://www.DancingDots.com I don’t have any of their software yet (since it’s expensive!), but I’m working on getting some funding together for a program called GoodFeel, which can scan in print music, and ultimately translate that into braille music notation. The only thing is, that the scanned music might need to be edited for scanning errors by a sighted musician, but the person helping with editing doesn’t actually have to know anything about the braille music code. That would be really neat! They have several books available for sale, including a really good one called How to Read Braille Music (both braille, print, and CD-ROM versions). It introduces the student/teacher to the basics of braille music notation.

    In a nutshell, the standard braille cell is made up of any combination of dots in a rectangle that’s two dots wide and three dots high. Though some symbols mean different things in one code to another (literary, math, music, computer braille, etc.), in the context of music, the following is usually true:

    The four dots in the top part of the cell make up the note letter/name. The two dots at the bottom represent the note’s value. There are 7 patterns (representing C through B), and four values: whole (both bottom dots), half (just the bottom left dot raised), quarter (bottom right dot raised), and no dots at the bottom for eighths). When you get to smaller values, the pattern for whole, for example, is used for sixteenths, and logic would dictate that if you have a string of notes in a measure, with bth bottom dots, you can assume they are sixteenth notes.

    So, when braille music is written, it is a string of linear characters, where spaces denote bar lines. Each line begins with the measure number. Of course there are signs for time signatures, key signatures, accidentals, dynamic markings, etc., but that would be a bit tough to summarize in a couple of paragraphs, LOL. There are also octave marks, since there’s not the spatial reference of a printed staff, but there are certain rules about when and why they are used, based on interval relationships from one note to the next.

    Well, sorry for rambling on, but it’s neat when people are interested in how braille music works. Some blind people read it, but a lot do not, unfortunately. Until I found Bettye Krolick’s How to Read Braille Music, that was the first book that really helped braille music notation start to make some sense to me. 🙂

    Thanks again, and hope you’re having a good evening.

  78. Graham English says

    Hey Benny. Thanks for joining the party 🙂

    So you have situational AP? Lots of people report this and sometimes it really is weird – especially in your case – only during the night?! 🙂

    I don’t have much of an explanation for it but it does mean that your AP could use more practice – and you should probably practice during the day.

    Perhaps it’s some sort of conditioning to the moment. The night is an anchor for your natural ability.

    So I would practicing at manifesting AP during the day and find out what happens.

    Interesting dilemma. Thanks for sharing.

  79. Graham English says

    Wow Tina. Thanks for the braille tutorial. Truly fascinating.

    Sure you can email me: graham@grahamenglish.com

    I hope I can be as much assistance to you as you just were to me 🙂

    I don’t have graphics in the pdf versions except in the header. There’s one chart in there but it’s not crucial to the understanding and I could easily give you everything in straight text.

    Look forward to hearing from you and yes, I’m having a great evening 🙂

  80. Tina E says

    Benny, I imagine that situational AP might be related to your general level of alertness/mood. For instance, I’m definitely more of a night owl than a morning person, so if I’m writing something, whether it is a long/intense Email, or some other project, I have my best and most meaningful/creative ideas, well, right about this time of night, LOL!

    I think I understand your experience of only being able to identify white keys on the piano. It has to do with the area of your brain that deals with specifics of pitch discrimination. Apparently, from what I’ve read, for people who either have or acquire “absolute” pitch, the neurons become more sensitized to a specific range of frequencies. Maybe your brain hasn’t quite gotten tuned into the sharps and flats, but if you can discern the white keys, the black ones aren’t very far off with consistent practice, I’d imagine.

    Another strange thing, and it’s probably another issue of how much exposure I’ve had, but I tend to very quickly pick out things if they are in the major keys of C, D, F, G, and usually B-Flat, (and the relative minors thereof), but if I hear something and figure out from a reference tone that it’s actually in E-major for instance, it can sometimes fake my mind out. Once I’d hear the tonic note of the piece, and then compare it to a reference pitch, the rest of it sort of falls into place.

    Part of it, is that with tapes in particular, the speeds of the recording machine, and the machine that plays, might be just a little off, and this would inherently throw off all of the pitches by several hertz. So, that’s why I suspect that my ability for “absolute pitch,” is still a little relative either way, until I hear it in context with something else, if that makes sense. Yeah, I think it was Graham who commented earlier, that we can hear and distinguish something that’s say, ten or fifteen hertz apart, but not when it gets to pitches being out of tune by a matter of cents. Well, at least singlely, but if two instruments playing the same note are out of tune with one another, that’s a bit more obvious to pick out, by hearing the beats created by the frequency offset.

    Well, just some other thoughts to mull over.

  82. Graham English says

    Ok. Wow. This was fun 🙂

    I’m closing down commenting on this post. 81 total.

    Thank you so much for your participation. Please, get yourself a RSS reader and subscribe to this feed. You’ll be glad you did.

    I’m going to be talking a lot more about the value of RSS to musicians very soon. You’ll wonder how you ever got along without it.

    Thanks again for a successful blogathon!

    😀

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