| Some observations: * The "raw" pitch information coming into our brains from our ears is absolute. * Sophisticated processing inside the brain is required to calculate relative pitch. * Although absolute pitch perception is considered a "musical" skill, only relative pitch is relevant to the perception of the musical quality of music. Because of its rarity, absolute pitch perception is regarded as an "amazing" skill. But when you consider the technical aspects, the thing we should be amazed by is relative pitch perception. My conclusion would be that relative pitch perception exists because it serves a critical biological function, and absolute pitch perception is rare because it does not serve any critical function. It's also worth noting that we all have _some_ degree of absolute pitch perception, but it is much less precise than our relative pitch perception. And of course it is biologically relevant to distinguish between, for example, a high-pitched scream and a deep rumbling sound. |