Overview: The concept of absolute pitch, long believed to be an inherent talent or solely achievable through early training in childhood, is proving to be a skill that can also be developed in adulthood. A recent study conducted by researchers trained 12 adult musicians in an innovative eight-week online program that concentrated on recognizing pitch classes instead of specific pitch heights. This approach reduced the use of relative pitch strategies, requiring participants to achieve mastery in the final tests through repeated practice.

The participants demonstrated remarkable progress, with some reaching nearly flawless pitch recognition. In particular, two individuals displayed swift and precise identification across all twelve pitches, comparable to those naturally endowed with this ability. These findings challenge previously held assumptions about musical cognition and suggest new avenues for adults seeking to learn this skill.

Essential Highlights:

• Acquired Ability: Adult musicians learned to identify an average of seven pitches with an impressive 90% accuracy rate.
• Outstanding Achievements: Two participants became proficient in recognizing all twelve pitches at levels akin to innate abilities.
• Innovative Training Method: This approach emphasized learning pitch classes while reducing reliance on external cues.

Source: University of Surrey

For many years, there has been a prevailing notion that absolute pitch – the capacity to pinpoint musical notes without any external reference – is a rare talent given to only a select few, often those with unique genetic traits or early exposure to musical education. However, groundbreaking research from the University of Surrey is challenging this perspective, revealing that adults can indeed learn this skill through dedicated training.

The research focused on a varied group of 12 adult musicians, each with differing levels of musical experience, who took part in an intensive eight-week online training program. Unlike earlier studies, this training regimen prioritized the identification of pitch classes—the core of absolute pitch—over exact pitch heights.

Furthermore, the program minimized the dependence on relative pitch techniques, which involve mentally comparing notes using external references during testing to ascertain correct answers. To ensure genuine learning, participants had to repeat the final training level multiple times to avoid accidental success.

Despite the common belief that absolute pitch cannot be learned in adulthood, participants made substantial advancements, successfully identifying an average of seven musical pitches with a 90% accuracy or higher.

Notably, two participants reached exceptional performance levels, accurately recognizing all twelve pitches, comparable to those with innate abilities.

Dr. Yetta Wong, the lead investigator and lecturer at the University of Surrey, stated:

“Our research provides compelling evidence that absolute pitch is not confined to a chosen few. Through dedicated training, adults can acquire this remarkable ability, similar to how they learn other complex cognitive skills.”

Co-author Dr. Alan Wong, a senior lecturer at Surrey’s School of Psychology, added:

“This research reshapes our understanding of musical cognition and learning, opening new opportunities for musicians of all ages to evolve and maximize their musical potential.”

About This Research on Musical and Auditory Learning

Author: Melanie Battolla
Source: University of Surrey
Contact: Melanie Battolla – University of Surrey
Image: Credited to Neuroscience News

Original Study: Open-access.
“Learning fast and accurate absolute pitch judgment in adulthood” by Yetta Wong et al. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review

Abstract:

Learning Fast and Accurate Absolute Pitch Judgment in Adulthood

Absolute pitch (AP) is defined as the ability to recognize the pitch of a tone without external references. Traditionally, it has been thought that only individuals with certain genetic compositions and early musical training can develop AP.

Recent investigations have started to question this critical period paradigm, suggesting that AP acquisition is possible in adults.

However, prior learning outcomes may have been attributed to learning pitch height instead of chroma, extended working memory, relative pitch techniques, serendipity during repeated trials, pre-existing AP abilities, and/or specific cognitive profiles. An eight-week online computerized training program aimed to address these issues and clarify the learnability of AP in adulthood.

A total of twelve musicians dedicated an average of 21.4 hours to complete 15,327 training trials. By the end of this program, they were able to name an average of 7.08 pitches (ranging from 3 to 12) at an accuracy of 90% or higher, with response times (RT) between 1,305–2,028 milliseconds.

Post-training, pitch-naming accuracy significantly improved by 128.1% (from .139 to .317), and the margin of error was reduced by 42.7% (from 2.62 to 1.50 semitones) for the trained timbre, which partially generalized to an untrained timbre.

Overall, the results offer convincing evidence supporting the learnability of AP judgment in adulthood beyond the critical period, similar to many perceptual and cognitive abilities.