'Absolute Pitch' - An Update

I have been in contact with Dr. Martin Braun concerning the chronic
tinnitus from which I have suffered for ten years. Whilst reading the
article which one of you had directed me to (you must forgive me - I
can't remember whether it was Gene, Carl or Monzo) I learnt exactly
the nature of the beast. Until then I had been labouring under the
false understanding, acquired at school 40 years ago, that hearing is
a purely passive process. As it turns out there are active vibrators
in the inner ear that act as amplifiers for speech pitches to enable
speech to be more easily distinguished against a noisy background.
These cells normally vibrate just below the threshold of hearing.
While reading Dr Braun's article I suddenly realized what had been
happening all along. Although it may be just one of those incredible
coincidences, almost as the truth dawned upon me, my tinnitus (12kHz
@ 40db) attenuated and for the past six days has been practically
inaudible, having been continuous for the preceding ten years. I have
even been able to resume work upon my little symphony. But I digress
because in relating this to Dr. Braun I also asked about 'absolute
pitch'. Here is his response to that question:-

"Before writing in more detail, just one piece of good news. No worry
about the 'absoluteness' of 440 Hz. Nobody in science, and, as far as
I know, no scholar of other theories, thinks that 440 Hz has any
particular importance in biology or physics.

"440 Hz is just a technical norm and it is independent from absolute
pitch in humans. The term 'absolute' here refers to any possible
matrix of tone memories. Of course, if people, like in many parts of
the world now, are exposed to a tone matrix based on A = 440 Hz
several hours per day over years, their implicit and explicit tone
memory is formed accordingly."

Peter

>"440 Hz is just a technical norm and it is independent from absolute
>pitch in humans. The term 'absolute' here refers to any possible
>matrix of tone memories. Of course, if people, like in many parts of
>the world now, are exposed to a tone matrix based on A = 440 Hz
>several hours per day over years, their implicit and explicit tone
>memory is formed accordingly."

Yes, that's "absolutely" correct.

-Carl