Perfect Pitch: A Lucky Chance or Autosomal Dominance?

From the tone-deaf people to the ones who can “carry a tune” to the thoroughly trained opera singers to even those with perfect pitch, every individual's voice starts somewhere. I come from a very musical family--my dad has a special tonal recognition called relative pitch and my grandfather is a multi-instrument musician. But my mom, well, my mom is completely, and utterly, tone-deaf. Where do I fall on this spectrum? Well, I have a 1/10,000 tonal recognition called perfect pitch. This means I could sing any note on the spot for you, and/or tell you what a note is. Pretty cool, right?!?

Here is a photo of me when I played the Clarinet- I was 9! The notes on the piano, concert pitch, were not labeled the same as on the clarinet. This confused me and is how my family discovered my weird ability.

After discovering I had such abilities, a question pondered throughout my brain. How in the WORLD is this possible?!?! First of all, why me? And second of all, HOW me?

Until I took AP Biology this year, I had absolutely no clue. After learning about really cool and rare genetic disorders, my brain had a spark. But I still was not positive. So, after some research, I have come to discover that perfect pitch is an autosomal dominant trait. The interesting thing about having perfect pitch is that there is no way to know if you have it without musical training. Without hearing the notes and identifying them from a young age, one with the trait would never know they had it. (So lucky for me I come from a musical family!)

There is a controversy around this topic though. Some researchers believe that perfect pitch is developed through intensive training, while others believe it is a genetic trait. But, scientist Dr. Profita was determined to discover the genetics and inheritance pattern behind the genetic trait. He discovered evidence that perfect pitch follows an autosomal dominant inheritance pattern using a test and studying family trees. Dr. Profita is a psychiatrist at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Sepulveda, Calif, and an assistant professor at the University of California at Los Angeles. He went on to explain that the trait is dominant and carried by a single gene rather than on a sex chromosome. Sons and daughters of parents who have the gene have a 50% chance of acquiring it.

According to Dr. Profita, and the New York Times Article, Perfect Pitch: The Key May Lie in the Genes, most musicians have "good relative pitch." "You play a note and they can't recognize it," he added, "but if you tell them what the note is, they can figure out additional notes that are related to it." "Many musicians regard it as a more valuable skill than perfect pitch." This is what my dad has. It makes perfect sense as to why I have perfect pitch when my dad has something similar. Well, kinda makes sense.

Like I said before, my mom cannot sing a single note. I wondered how slim the chances of a relative pitch father and a Tone-deaf mother having a daughter with perfect pitch were. Although the specific gene that this trait is located on is unclear, what is clear is that there was a 50% or less chance of me receiving this trait; since it is an autosomal dominant and inherited trait.

I know notes like I know my colors. I never have thought twice about how most people do not have this ability--I figured it was as easy for anyone else as it was for me. It actually is very common for people who have perfect pitch to think like this. This was found in a study by Dr. Drayna, a geneticist who became very interested in Profita's work as he has family members with Perfect Pitch. He developed a test to discover more information.

As per Dr. Profita and Dr. Drayna, the first section tests the traditional definition of perfect pitch. The subject is asked to name a note that is played by the tester. The respondent must then identify the notes or how many notes are being played as the tester plays progressively complex chords. The second section of the test is a broader assessment of hearing ability that does not require professional musical expertise. He claims that many persons with perfect pitch cannot read music but can play four or five instruments by ear. The test is divided into six sections, each with sub-scores totaling 700 points. In one segment, the tester plays one note and then plays another note a minute later. The subject must specify whether the notes are identical or different. The individual is asked to playback a complicated piece several minutes after hearing it for the first time as the test becomes more difficult.

The results were satisfying. Out of 25 people, 3 scored below a 100, 11 scored from 175-to 375, 7 scored from 425 to 595, and 4 people scored from 650 to 700. As none of these scores overlapped with each other, the scientists then came to the conclusion that Perfect Pitch is a dominant trait.

A study was done by the University of Chicago studying the concept of auditory learning. Perfect pitch study has placed the findings in the context of psychology, adding to growing evidence that invalidates the assumption that people's skills are natural, genetic traits: They suggest that these abilities are more adaptable. This suggests that people may be able to develop their abilities later in life than previously anticipated in the case of auditory learning—languages, music, and other sounds. This introduces a whole new environment for learning- those who learn best through sound. I would put myself in this category, and the study that was done really does make sense for those with audio-linked traits. 

In the future, Dr. Drayna hopes to do a genetic-linkage study with families who have more than one member with the trait. He would take blood samples from each family member and scientists would search their chromosomes with gene probes, and would look for some sort of coinheritance. This could be extremely beneficial for the world of music, and science!

Even if I did not have perfect pitch, I would still be extremely interested in this study and research. My family's musical abilities are all so different from each other, and I would love to figure out exactly why. But for now, my cool trait remains a sort-of mystery!

Below is a video of my perfect pitch in action- enjoy!