Subject: Re: The climb of absolute pitch From: "Crockett, Brett" <BGC@xxxxxxxx> Date: Fri, 30 Nov 2012 15:43:28 +0000 List-Archive:<http://lists.mcgill.ca/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=AUDITORY>--_000_FEB0053C41F44FCBB7F1E673FF85E190dolbycom_ Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable This is just a theory but could it be similar to how our sight changes with= aging because of the physical changes due to gravity. For sight I believe = the flattening of the eye due to the pull of gravity causes optical distort= ion. Is the same or similar effect possible for the inner ear? Again just a theory. Sent from my iPhone On Nov 30, 2012, at 1:09 AM, "Al Bregman" <al.bregman@xxxxxxxx<mailto:al.b= regman@xxxxxxxx>> wrote: Hi Pierre, It's possible that this change happens to many people, not just those with = absolute pitch. However, those without absolute pitch wouldn't notice it -= - as long as pitch relations (the sizes of pitch intervals) were preserved = -- especially if the change occurred slowly. As for a physiological mechanism, it might be analogous to whatever explain= s diplacusis. By the way, in the case of diplacusis, is it possible to say= which ear is yielding the "correct" pitch? Is there such a thing as a "co= rrect" pitch? Is your changed pitch experience less accurate or more accur= ate than it was before? Best, Al ---------------------------------------------------------------------------= -- Albert S. Bregman, Emeritus Professor Psychology Department, McGill University Phone: (514) three-nine-eight-6103, http://webpages.mcgill.ca/staff/Group2/abregm1/web/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------= -- On Thu, Nov 29, 2012 at 1:10 PM, Pierre Divenyi <pdivenyi@xxxxxxxx= u<mailto:pdivenyi@xxxxxxxx>> wrote: Hi, Several older persons who have had absolute pitch in their young years expe= rience perceiving a pitch by at least a half-tone (minor second) higher tha= n what it actually is =97 a phenomenon that the French calls the "climb of = the tuning fork" ("montee du diapason"). Since I am one of those unfortunat= e individuals, I have been wondering what its physiological explanation is.= Can anyone on the list offer one? -Pierre Divenyi --_000_FEB0053C41F44FCBB7F1E673FF85E190dolbycom_ Content-Type: text/html; charset="Windows-1252" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <html> <head> <meta http-equiv=3D"Content-Type" content=3D"text/html; charset=3DWindows-1= 252"> </head> <body dir=3D"auto"> <div>This is just a theory but could it be similar to how our sight changes= with aging because of the physical changes due to gravity. For sight I bel= ieve the flattening of the eye due to the pull of gravity causes optical di= stortion. Is the same or similar effect possible for the inner ear?</div> <div>Again just a theory. <br> <br> Sent from my iPhone</div> <div><br> On Nov 30, 2012, at 1:09 AM, "Al Bregman" <<a href=3D"mailto:a= l.bregman@xxxxxxxx">al.bregman@xxxxxxxx</a>> wrote:<br> <br> </div> <blockquote type=3D"cite"> <div>Hi Pierre,<br> <br> It's possible that this change happens to many people, not just those with = absolute pitch. However, those without absolute pitch wouldn't notice= it -- as long as pitch relations (the sizes of pitch intervals) were prese= rved -- especially if the change occurred slowly.<br> <br> As for a physiological mechanism, it might be analogous to whatever explain= s diplacusis. By the way, in the case of diplacusis, is it possible t= o say which ear is yielding the "correct" pitch? Is there s= uch a thing as a "correct" pitch? Is your changed pitch experience less accurate or more accurate than it was before?<br> <br> Best,<br> Al<br clear=3D"all"> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------= --<br> Albert S. Bregman, Emeritus Professor<br> Psychology Department, McGill University<br> Phone: (514) three-nine-eight-6103, <br> <a href=3D"http://webpages.mcgill.ca/staff/Group2/abregm1/web/" target=3D"_= blank">http://webpages.mcgill.ca/staff/Group2/abregm1/web/</a><br> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------= --<br> <br> <br> <div class=3D"gmail_quote">On Thu, Nov 29, 2012 at 1:10 PM, Pierre Divenyi = <span dir=3D"ltr"> <<a href=3D"mailto:pdivenyi@xxxxxxxx" target=3D"_blank">pdiven= yi@xxxxxxxx</a>></span> wrote:<br> <blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1p= x #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"> <div style=3D"font-size:14px;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;word-wrap:break= -word"> <div>Hi,</div> <div><br> </div> <div>Several older persons who have had absolute pitch in their young years= experience perceiving a pitch by at least a half-tone (minor second) highe= r than what it actually is =97 a phenomenon that the French calls the "= ;climb of the tuning fork" ("montee du diapason"). Since I am one of those unfortunate individuals, I have b= een wondering what its physiological explanation is. Can anyone on the list= offer one?</div> <span class=3D"HOEnZb"><font color=3D"#888888"> <div><br> </div> <div>-Pierre Divenyi</div> </font></span></div> </blockquote> </div> <br> </div> </blockquote> </body> </html> --_000_FEB0053C41F44FCBB7F1E673FF85E190dolbycom_--