What is the difference between absolute pitch and relative pitch?

Answer 1

A person with relative pitch, depending on the variable degree of this skill, is able to determine the type of chord, scale, and interval by ear based on the relationship of each note. After hearing a starting pitch, like C, one can figure out all the other notes in the scale by going up or down a certain amount of intervals from the C. All major chords are based on the same intervals, so you can easily identify this type of chord, or any other chord, by the way they sound, but you will not be able to tell if that chord is a G Major, a B flat Major, with just relative pitch.

Absolute pitch is completely independent of relative pitch, and is "color hearing." A person with AP can tell a G from an F sharp without hearing any starting pitch. They simply can hear the subtle "feelings" in each note, so they are able to memorize this and recall it later. A person without AP may be able to tell that a chord is Major or Minor, but they might not be able to hear each tone in the chord equally. AP is helpful for playing by ear, improvisation, and is a more sensitive, refined level of hearing.

Absolute and relative pitch are used together to reach full musical excellence, but each skill separated has its own weaknesses. Someone with AP will hear each tone in a song, but may not perceive the overall melody, as the building blocks of music is intervals. Someone with only relative pitch will appreciate the melodic quality of a piece, but will have no idea which notes are being played, and will not be able to reproduce the song until they learn which key it's in, or have the sheet music.

* A widely held myth about AP is that you must be born with it. This is not true. Every infant is born with ears that hear in absolutes, like AP possessors, but only the children who consciously learn to understand this perception will maintain it throughout their life and actually be able to identify pitches. Adults can acquire AP as well, but require more ear training than children, and there is only one program available that has been proven to teach this skill to adults.