<p>I think no one knows this answer for the general case because no one knows whether all people can learn perfect pitch. I don't think we know what causes this &quot;talent&quot; to say what are its limitations. There is evidence that some people can.</p>
<p><a href="https://news.uchicago.edu/story/acquiring-perfect-pitch-may-be-possible-some-adults" rel="nofollow noreferrer">A 2015 study found that some adults can acquire perfect pitch for months.</a> Presumably the initial study's methods are theoretically improvable and repeatable. If you can accept the sci-fi speculation that warp drive is plausible with effort, then surely you can accept the lesser speculation that perfect pitch is plausible with effort. If you want to make the solution more colorful, then maybe write that medically inducing some kind of synesthesia is easier than teaching conscious, full-speed perfect pitch ;)</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-05-12T22:39:45.593Z
I like that you brought scientific proof for me. Thank!
Blue Skin and Glowing Red Eyes
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-05-12T18:38:19.983Z
2022-05-12T18:38:19.983Z
Vir
<p>Essentially, without perfect pitch, could someone learn a language that requires you to have the pitch perfect.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-05-11T13:22:12.863Z
If perfect pitch is required, then someone without perfect pitch probably could not learn the language - but human ingenuity would probably end up developing a translator device for it.
Jeff Zeitlin
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-05-11T19:45:55.707Z
@JeffZeitlin, great idea!
Blue Skin and Glowing Red Eyes
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-05-14T00:31:13.980Z
I think you'll need to clarify some things about your aliens: perfect pitch just means you can identify a "musical note" when it's played. It doesn't mean you can sing. Or whistle. My question is: what is the correlation between the high incidence of perfect pitch in that species and their capacity for language and also between langue and parole. As written, I see no reason whatsoever than a professionally trained singer couldn't join in that conversation.
elemtilas
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-05-14T13:52:02.233Z
@elemtilas, you’re right, I just didn’t know if perfect pitch was necessary to understand the language.
Blue Skin and Glowing Red Eyes
<conlang-learning>
If there was a group of perfect-pitched alien, who spoke in whistles, would humans without perfect pitch be able to learn that language of whistles?
# If there was a group of perfect-pitched alien, who spoke in whistles, would humans without perfect pitch be able to learn that language of whistles?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2022-05-11)

Essentially, without perfect pitch, could someone learn a language that requires you to have the pitch perfect.

**Tags:** conlang-learning

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: If perfect pitch is required, then someone without perfect pitch probably could not learn the language - but human ingenuity would probably end up developing a translator device for it.  
> **username_0**: @username_1, great idea!  
> **username_2**: I think you'll need to clarify some things about your aliens: perfect pitch just means you can identify a "musical note" when it's played. It doesn't mean you can sing. Or whistle. My question is: what is the correlation between the high incidence of perfect pitch in that species and their capacity for language and also between langue and parole. As written, I see no reason whatsoever than a professionally trained singer couldn't join in that conversation.  
> **username_0**: @username_2, you’re right, I just didn’t know if perfect pitch was necessary to understand the language.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2022-05-12. Score: 2 | Accepted answer

I think no one knows this answer for the general case because no one knows whether all people can learn perfect pitch. I don't think we know what causes this "talent" to say what are its limitations. There is evidence that some people can.

[A 2015 study found that some adults can acquire perfect pitch for months.](https://news.uchicago.edu/story/acquiring-perfect-pitch-may-be-possible-some-adults) Presumably the initial study's methods are theoretically improvable and repeatable. If you can accept the sci-fi speculation that warp drive is plausible with effort, then surely you can accept the lesser speculation that perfect pitch is plausible with effort. If you want to make the solution more colorful, then maybe write that medically inducing some kind of synesthesia is easier than teaching conscious, full-speed perfect pitch ;)

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: I like that you brought scientific proof for me. Thank!  

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