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Perfect pitch

Perfect pitch

Meaning

The ability to determine a musical note by ear.

Examples

He knew that the cars engine was humming a D sharp just by listening – he has perfect pitch.

Where did it originate?

Britain, 1920s. Deriving from the earlier ‘absolute pitch’, which is known from the 1880s.

Where is it used?

Worldwide.

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About the Author

Gary Martin is a writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.

Gary Martin

Writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.
Perfect pitch

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