Imagine not knowing red from blue. It's difficult to imagine,
isn't it? But did you know the names of colors when you were two
years old? Not yet, you didn't. So just imagine that your ear is
only two years old and you are now going to learn the different
pitches. Doesn't sound so hard, does it?
You already have this ability in your ear. All the mechanisms
are there. Nothing physical has to change in order to have
absolute pitch. So then, what does need to change?
Your mind!
And the best part about changing your mind is that it's simple,
easy and extremely powerful! You see, the mind doesn't know the
difference between what's real and what's vividly imagined.
That's why nightmares can be so scary and why fantasies are so
much fun! So change your mind...
...and change your life!
Lesson 1: Get Leverage
Imagine how good it would feel to have absolute pitch. Really
feel it. Make it real. Picture a time when absolute pitch could
be useful. How about this, you're sitting in first class on a
flight from your home town to New York City where you're performing
tonight. You've just eaten a delicious meal and are now washing
your hands with a moist warm towel when...WHAMMO...you hear a
great piece of music in your mind. Now imagine pulling a piece
of manuscript paper from your carry-on and simply write down the
idea just like you can transcribe every note that you hear. Make
this scene real. Hear the sounds, feel the pen in your hand (you
don't use pencils because you don't make mistakes anymore!),
see the details of your surroundings. Now make these sensations
bigger, closer, brighter, louder, clearer and more vivid. Bring
the scene closer still. Make it even more intense. Visualize
some other scenes where absolute pitch could be a great asset.
Great! Now you know how good it feels to have absolute pitch and
you know the pleasure it can bring.
Next, think of the opportunities you could miss by not having
absolute pitch. What would be the worst thing about not having
absolute pitch? Would it be the missed opportunities, the wrong
notes, the lack of musical influence you'll have, the poor
self-esteem, or simply the lack of an amazing experience?
Now that you've used pain and pleasure to make having absolute
pitch a must, decide to take action and create a plan. Set aside
some time each day to work on your ear. Write it down.
Seriously, WRITE IT DOWN. Sorry, didn't mean to yell. But
writing it down makes it real. Writing your goal down sends your nervous system a message that you mean business! Put the date next to
it. Now, make a fist and say it out loud. Now you're really
putting it out into the world. Shout it! Vibrate the air with
your dedication to having absolute pitch!
Excellent! You're on your way. You're one
of the few that do!
Now, here's your musical exercise:
Go to your instrument and play a C. But before you do, hum a C.
Just pretend you know what a C sounds like and hum it. Don't
worry about being wrong. If you are wrong, figure out what note
you hummed. Then play the C again. Really listen to the C.
Notice how it makes you feel. Does it have an emotion attached
to it or a color or a thought? Let the C affect you and simply
listen. Be aware. Now hum the C. Then, play the C again and just
listen. Do this for a couple of minutes. Alternate humming and
listening. If you were lucky and correct the first time, don't
get too excited. A big ego only gets in the way of learning. Just
say, "that's interesting," and follow the rest of the exercise
of humming and then listening. The whole point of this exercise
is to listen deeply.
For your homework, do the visualization and the musical exercise
a couple of times over the next few days. Learning requires
action so make this a priority. It doesn't take long - just 5
minutes at a time. And these 5 minutes are worth a lifetime of
musical excellence!
Important:
In order to have absolute pitch, we must re-learn how to listen.
And if you can fog up a mirror, you can learn absolute pitch!
So get ready for an amazing experience and hang tight for lesson
two. Or...
You might want to get absolute pitch the fast and easy way...
