Absolute pitch, or perfect pitch, allows individuals to name musical notes by ear, a skill thought to be innate and exclusive to those with early musical training. However, new research suggests that adults can also acquire this ability through targeted training. A study found that twelve adult musicians trained over eight weeks significantly improved their pitch recognition skills, disputing the preconceived notion that absolute pitch is limited by genetics and early exposure. This highlights the flexibility of the adult brain in mastering complex auditory skills.
Our research team recently ran a study showing that adults can, in fact, learn absolute pitch - and do this quite well! With the right kind of training, even adults can develop this skill that was once thought to be gated by genetics and confined to those who had exposure to music training in early childhood.
Interestingly, some musicians find this task easy and intuitive. These rare individuals include the most renowned and accomplished composers in history, such as Bach, Mozart, Beethoven and Chopin, contributing to the widespread belief that absolute pitch is a natural musical gift.
Contrary to common beliefs, absolute pitch can be learned later in life. Adult brains remain flexible to master complex skills like pitch recognition.
The assumption was that absolute pitch was only found in those born with special genes and who started music lessons as a young child.
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