Hi all, I was wondering what kind of exercises or training I could do to recognize a note when its played, eg. someone plays a C, and I can go, yep that's a C. I've been racking my brains over this cause I've thought of this interesting piece (well, interesting to me). Only thing is, I can't think of what the notes are, I can think them and hear them and arrange them into a full working piece that actually sounds good, but I don't have a clue what the notes are, I've played around with it on the piano, guitar, flute, harp and so on, but I can't seem to get the right notes. I've arranged the note lengths/timing, tempo, beat; pretty much everything except the actual notes them selves and the key signature (at the moment, every note is written as a C). So, anyone that can help, it would be dearly appreciated. (Yeah I know, I write a lot; get used to it :P).

Basically, you can't. That is a skill that some people just have and a skill that can not be learned. You can however learn to recognize note intervals which can work just as good. This is a nice tool to help practice these intervals... http://musictheory.net/trainers/html/id90_en.html

Relative pitch is the next best thing you can get, unless you're born with perfect pitch (rather rare). With relative pitch, it's basically like Porsche said, which is recognizing intervals, and using a note which you already know to figure out a new pitch that you don't. It's a very handy technique if you want to play music by ear. To develop relative pitch, you basically need to just practice practice practice. Knowing popular melodies and what intervals they incorporate is one method to get you started on, but you really have to keep working in order to make it second nature.

It's weird. I can't actually imagine not knowing what a note sounds like. To explain, the note is almost like it's a part of you. It's something that can't be mistaken for something else. you just know. It's like breathing for me.

I think the term we're looking for here is "Perfect Pitch"... some people can hear the notes and just know what they are (and inversely, see a note and sing it in correct pitch).

It's a rare ability, though. However recognizing intervals can be learned and recognizing frequency ranges can be learned. Just need to drill yourself on each interval and find something you can relate to it in order to remember it. For example, the first two notes of the Star Wars theme is a Perfect 5th. "Hear Comes the Bride" is a Perfect 4th. "Lullaby" by I think Brahms? is a minor 3rd.

I disagree that you must have perfect pitch to name notes. My music teacher doesn't have perfect pitch, but can name the notes you just hummed or played. It's possible. Though that takes years and effort.

I disagree that you must have perfect pitch to name notes. My music teacher doesn't have perfect pitch, but can name the notes you just hummed or played. It's possible. Though that takes years and effort.

Being able to identify any note off the back is having perfect pitch. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty certain.

Perfect pitch can actually be trained; it's takes a lot of listening to a variety of instruments and constant ear tests to self-train. Although, for most times, having a good sense of relative pitch is sufficient.

He's teacher is what I like to call "Relative Perfect Pitch." And it make sense: Many people have this, actually. I, myself, do, but it has the extent of not being fully perfect. Basically what these people can do is if they know a piece REALLY well, and they not a certain note/interval in a piece of music, they can think of it as a base pitch to start off from or what that kind of interval sounds like; it's like a mental-audio cheat-sheet, you could say.

For example, I always know what a Major 6th sounds like from either Chopin's Nocturne Op. 9/2 or Liszt's Liebestraume No. 3; Minor 3rd from Beethoven's Coriolan; Perfect 5ths from and Iron Maiden tune (usually Alexander the Great). And then there's my secret list of all 12 notes in music ;)

etc. etc. etc.

It's a fun skill, I'd suggest you guys try it if you KNOW that the piece uses the correct interval or note.

yes, relative pitch comes before perfect pitch, not the other way around. To acquire perfect pitch, it requires a lot of ear training by memorizing the pitch and it's corresponding letter. You don't have to be born with perfect pitch so don't despair if you don't have it. Though I've heard people with perfect pitch can get agitated if something is slightly out of tune.

^ Yeah, I've read that somewhere too. Actually, that same article also suggested that you develop your relative pitch to a high degree, and then use another method of finding a reference note (knowing the pitch of the lowest note you can whistle, etc.), and then going from there to develop a pseudo-perfect pitch =)