The Development of Absolute Pitch: A Theory Concerning the Roles of Music Training at an Early Developmental Age and Individual Cognitive Style

Absolute pitch (AP), the ability to identify or sing pitches without an external reference, is apparently neither completely inherited nor completely teachable. Based on AP research findings and the literature on cognitive development and cognitive style, this article proposes that the reason why some musicians have AP and others do not depends on both the developmental age at which music instruction began and individual differences in cognitive style; children who had a particular type of music training before the ages of 5 to 7 years, and who have a more analytical cognitive style, are most likely to develop AP. In light of the proposed explanation, there is discussion of a possible neurological correlate of AP in the brain, and of research on AP with individuals who are blind, have Williams syndrome, or are autistic. Some directions for future research are suggested.