其实英文维基百科里已经把何谓绝对音感(absolute pitch)介绍得相当详尽了， 而且几乎所有陈述都有明确附上根据来源(这是判别资料可信度的一个重要指标)， 请见以下连结: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absolute_pitch 我挑其中几个段落大略翻译一下，如有误还请指正: Absolute pitch (AP), or perfect pitch, is the ability to name or reproduce a tone without reference to an external standard.[1] 绝对音感，是指可以不参考外界标准就辨识或重现一个音的能力。 The naming/labeling of notes need not be verbal. AP can also be demonstrated by other codes such as auditory imagery or sensorimotor responses, for example, reproducing a tone on an instrument. Therefore a musician from an aural tradition, with no musical notation, can still exhibit AP if allowed to reproduce a sounded note. 为音符命名、分类不一定要靠口语。 绝对音感也可以用别的代号来表现，像是靠脑中想像 的声音或是 sensorimoter responses (译注:这是心理学术语，很抱歉我不确定其标准中 文译名，姑且称之为 "感觉-动作 反应" 吧?) ， 例如用乐器重现出一个听到的音。 因此一个只靠听觉学习而没学过音乐记号的音乐家也可以表现出绝对音感，如果他可以重 现出一个外界发出的音符。 Possessors of absolute pitch exhibit the ability in varying degrees. Generally, absolute pitch implies some or all of the following abilities when done without reference to an external standard: 。Identify by name individual pitches (e.g. A, B, C#) played on various instruments 。Name the key of a given piece of tonal music just by listening (without reference to an external tone) 。Identify and name all the tones of a given chord or other tonal mass 。Sing a given pitch without an external reference 。Name the pitches of common everyday noises such as car horns 有绝对音感的人表现出其能力的程度因人而异。 大致来说，有绝对音感的人可以在没有外音提示下表现出以下的部分或全部能力: 1.可以说出各种乐器演奏出来的音的音名(例如A,B,C#)，藉以辨识出那些音。 2.(在不靠外音提示的情况下)只靠听就辨识出一段调性音乐的调性为何。 3.辨识出一个和弦的组成音(译注:抱歉，这一项後半部我不太确定其意) 4.在没有外界参考的情况下唱出某个特定的音符。 5.辨识出日常生活中的声音如汽车喇叭声。(译注:如果该声音恰好很接近十二种音当中的 某一种的话满有可能听出来的，但我觉得该声若是微分音或是很多音混在一起的声音的 话非常难听出来吧。不过请注意，wiki上并没有说有绝对音感的人一定能听出"所有"日 常声音。像汽车喇叭这种只有单音的声音还算是可辨识的，如果要求要辨认所有日常生 活中可能出现的声音我想连调音器也抓不准吧，因为大部分日常生活中的声音根本不会 是稳定频率的单音啊! 多的是不规则频率的一堆声音混在一起的合声吧!) Individuals may possess both absolute pitch and relative pitch ability in varying degrees. Both relative and absolute pitch work together in actual musical listening and practice, although individuals exhibit preferred strategies in using each skill. 不同人可以同时具有不等程度的绝对音感和相对音感。在实际的音乐听辨和练习中绝对音 感和相对音感是共同合作的，虽然不同人在使用不同技巧时可能会用自己比较偏好的那种 策略。 Absolute pitch sense appears to be influenced by cultural exposure to music, especially in the familiarization of the equal-tempered C-major scale. Most of the absolute listeners that were tested in this respect identified the C-major tones more reliably and, except for B, more quickly than the five "black key" tones,[12] which corresponds to the higher prevalence of these tones in ordinary musical experience. One study of Dutch non-musicians also demonstrated a bias toward using C-major tones in ordinary speech, especially on syllables related to emphasis. 绝对音感似乎会受一个人在他的文化中较常接触到的音乐有关，尤其是关於熟悉C大调音阶 这个现象。大部分有绝对音感的人在这方面的测试中，比起五个"黑键"音，能够更快速且 可靠地辨认出C大调音阶上的音(除了B以外)，反映出一般音乐经验中这些音是出现得较普 遍的。 (译注:我从未听说过有任何台湾人觉得辨识B比其他"白键音"来的困难，也许这个现象 跟外国通行的唱名有关? 有熟悉外国唱名的板友想到任何可能的理由吗?) 一个以荷兰籍非音乐家为对象的研究也显示出人们在一般演说中偏好使用C大调音阶上的音 ，尤其是在跟重点有关的音节时。 Many people have believed that musical ability itself is an inborn talent.[39] Some scientists currently believe absolute pitch may have an underlying genetic basis and are trying to locate genetic correlates[40]; while evidence suggesting a genetic locus has recently arisen[41], most believe that the acquisition of absolute pitch requires early training during a critical period of development, regardless of whether or not a genetic predisposition toward development exists.[42] The "unlearning theory," first proposed by Abraham,[43] has recently been revived by developmental psychologists who argue that every person possesses absolute pitch (as a mode of perceptual processing) as an infant, but that a shift in cognitive processing styles (from local, absolute processing to global, relational processing) causes most people to unlearn it; or, at least, causes children with musical training to discard absolute pitch as they learn to identify musical intervals.[44] Additionally, any nascent absolute pitch may be lost simply by the lack of reinforcement or lack of clear advantages in most activities in which the developing child is involved. An unequivocal resolution to the ongoing debate would require controlled experiments that are both impractical and unethical. 许多人相信绝对音感是天生的才能。有些科学家现在相信绝对音感也许有潜在的基因基础 并试图找出那些基因;不过尽管最近出现了可能支持基因论的证据，大部分人还是相信绝对 音感需要在某些发展的关键期施以早期训练，不管有没有这方面的基因。 (译注:以下牵涉到若干心理学术语，我不确定其标准中文译名，只好姑且照字面直译，若 有误请指正，谢谢)由 Abraham 首次提出的"放弃学习理论"最近被某些发展心理学家重新 提出，他们认为所有人在婴儿时期都具有绝对音感，但是认知处理模式的提升(从局部性的 、绝对性的认知模式，提升至全面性的、相对性的认知模式)使得大部分人丢弃了这种能力 ;或是至少使得接受音乐训练的孩子在学习辨认音程时抛弃了绝对音感。再加上，任何天生 的绝对音感都可能因为单纯缺乏强化或是对成长中的孩子从事的大部分活动没有明显帮助 而被丢弃。 要清楚解决这个持续中的争论，必须要进行一场不可能实行且不道德的控制实验。 Researchers have been trying to teach absolute pitch ability for more than a century,[45] and various commercial absolute-pitch training courses have been offered to the public since the early 1900s.[46] Although it has been shown possible to learn to identify pitches, keys, and everyday sounds later in life, no training method for adults has yet been shown to produce abilities comparable to naturally occurring absolute pitch.[47][48] 超过一世纪以来研究者们一直试图教出绝对音感，各式各样的商业化训练课程也从1900年 代就开始出现了。虽然透过後天教育培养出能够辨识音符、调性、还有日常生活中的声音 的能力已被证实为可行的，但还没有任何针对成年人的教法可以训练出比得上天生绝对音 感的能力。 For children aged 2–4, observations have suggested a certain method of music education[49] may be successful in training absolute pitch,[50] but the same method has also been shown to fail with students 5 years and older.[51] 观察指出某些音乐教育方法对於两岁到四岁间的孩童可能可以成功训练出绝对音感， 但是同样的方法对於超过五岁的小孩却无效。 Persons who have born absolute pitch may feel irritated when a piece is transposed to a different key or played at a nonstandard pitch.[52] Musicians with absolute pitch may fail to develop relative pitch skills when following standard curricula, conceptualizing music as a sequence of absolute tones instead; it thus becomes difficult for them to transpose or play a transposing instrument.[53] They may also not be able to continue playing or singing with a group when the pitch drops, or with an orchestra that is not tuned to standard concert pitch A4 = 440 hertz (variable); this may be due to a perception of pitch which is categorical rather than freely adjustable. 有绝对音感者在一段音乐被移到不同调性或是以非标准的音演奏时可能会觉得不适。 有绝对音感的音乐家接受标准课程时可能会无法建立相对音感，而是把音乐听成一序列的 绝对音高;因此对他们来说移调演出或是演奏移调乐器较困难。他们也可能无法持续在降音 的情况下跟团体合奏或歌唱，或是跟一个没有调成标准音的管弦乐团合奏。这可能是因为 他们是用绝对的、不可动的方式来辨识音高，而非用可调整式的辨识方式。 ( 译注: 我就有过这种困扰啊!有位爵士钢琴老师要我移到12调演奏时要使用首调唱名法， 可是对我来说G听起来就是So的发音，D就是Re的发音，硬要我把它们听成别的发音我实在 做不到啊!就算我很清楚知道那些音在各调中的级数为何我也没办法把它们听成首调唱名。 为了避开根深蒂固烙在脑海的固定调唱名与首调唱名之间的冲突，我只好不唱首调唱名， 改唱级数。结果被老师发现後他就要求我不能这样做，一定要唱首调唱名。他说:"不然以 後你音感不好不要怪我喔"，所以我就浪费很多时间在跟自己的绝对音感对抗...... 後来我发现也有爵士钢琴老师和我一样会很直觉听成固定调唱名，所以她也没办法用首调 唱名法，但是爵士钢琴还是弹得很好，移调也不成问题，我才松了一口气不再强迫自己使 用违背我听觉的首调唱名法，而是熟悉同一个音在各调中的级数各别为何就好了。果然就 运作得没什麽问题。 所以说...绝对音感有什麽好的?顶多就是抓歌时定调比较快吧。 现实中很多音乐很强的人都没有绝对音感，也有很多有绝对音感的人作曲编曲能力并不强 。音乐高手间的共同点是相对音感都很好吧，绝对音感并非重点! 清楚绝对音感是什麽意思的人怎麽可能会觉得绝对音感是件值得得意的事， 或是想要假装自己有绝对音感呢? 误以为绝对音感很了不起的人才会这样想吧。 至於为什麽原本意思很单纯且没有特别褒义的绝对音感会被逐渐误解成如今这种太传奇的 说法我也不晓得，搞得连有绝对音感的人都因为觉得说自己有绝对音感恐有臭屁之虞而说 自己没有，然後做个测验以後才发现自己有? 根据这个页面上的资料显示，虽然欧洲有绝对音感者很少， 但在亚洲有绝对音感的人比例还满高的，研究者猜测可能跟亚洲的语言注重声调变化有关 。这一段我累了所以没完全翻译出来，但是页面上有写喔~有兴趣的板友可以去读一下。 所以身处台湾的各位知道自己有"传说中的"绝对音感也不用惊讶啦，哈哈。 ) The prevalence of absolute pitch is considerably higher among individuals with early childhood in East Asia.[33][34][35][36] This difference has been suggested to be racial in origin.[37] A study has claimed that individuals of East Asian heritage reared in the United States or Canada have "no significant difference" in prevalence of absolute pitch than do Caucasians of the same geographical origin,[36] asserting that the difference in prevalence is more likely to be explained by linguistic experience than genetic heritage. Many East Asians speak tone languages such as Mandarin and Cantonese, while others (such as those in Japan and certain provinces of Korea) speak pitch accent languages; the prevalence of absolute pitch may be explained by exposure to pitches together with meaningful labels very early in life. 在东亚度过早期童年的人明显有较高的比例拥有绝对音感。 这样的差异刚开始被猜测为跟种族有关。 但有研究显示在美国或加拿大被抚养长大的东亚後裔并没有明显比住在同地区的白人有更 高的比例拥有绝对音感，显示这份绝对音感普及率的差异比较可能是由於语言经验所致， 而不是由基因所致。许多东亚人使用音调语言(tone language)例如中文和广东话，而其他 人(如日本和韩国的某些区域)使用音高重音语言;绝对音感的普及率可能与在人生中非常早 期就接触具有特殊意义的各种音调有关。 (译注:别的国家的情形我不晓得，可是我之前一直猜想台湾人的绝对音感那麽普遍是因为 台湾的孩童音乐教育绝大部分都使用固定调唱名法欸......? 有哪位板友从小学钢琴时就 是使用首调唱名法吗?) Absolute pitch is not a prerequisite for developing a high level of talent as a musician or composer, and musicians may disagree about the overall value and relevance of absolute pitch ability to musical experience. Owing to uncertainty in the historical record, and, until recently, lack of objective tests, it is often impossible to determine whether notable composers and musicians had absolute pitch or not. Since absolute pitch is rare in European musical culture,[35] claims that any particular musician possessed it are to be doubted, unless there is clear contemporary evidence. 绝对音感并非建立高级音乐或作曲能力的必要条件，且整体来讲音乐家们不认为绝对音感 对於音乐经验是关键的。基於历史纪录的不确定性且至今仍缺乏客观检验方法，要决定(历 史上)着名的作曲家和音乐家们有无绝对音感通常是不可能的。 因为欧洲音乐文化中罕有绝对音感者，声称(历史上)任何特定的音乐家拥有绝对音感通常 会被怀疑，除非有明显的当代证据。 Absolute pitch may influence the ability to transpose while sight-reading, as a musician with absolute pitch may focus greater attention on the exact notes presented in a musical score rather than the structural characteristics represented by the notation. 绝对音感会影响视奏时的移调能力，因为绝对音感者会较专注於谱上精确的音符而非谱上 呈现出来的结构性特色。 (译注:我相信很多板友应该也像我一样很难看着E调的五线谱唱出F调的音，或是唱着唱着 会不小心唱成谱上写的绝对音吧?) Many musicians have quite good relative pitch, a skill which can be learned. With practice, it is possible to listen to a single known pitch once (from a pitch pipe or a tuning fork) and then have stable, reliable pitch identification by comparing the notes heard to the stored memory of the tonic pitch.[60] Unlike absolute pitch, this skill is dependent on a recently perceived tonal center. 许多音乐家都有相当好的相对音感，而相对音感是可以习得的能力。 透过练习，可以只听一个已知的音一次(来自调音笛或音叉)然後就可透过比较听到的音跟 记忆中的主音而拥有稳定而可靠的辨音能力。不像绝对音感，这种技巧随最近接受到的调 性中心而变。 (译注:意思就是说，他可以听出音跟音之间的关系，但是不确定那些音的绝对音高为何。 不过只要你给他听一个已知绝对音高的音来做比较，他就可以判断了) ===============================(翻译结束)===================================== 我想以上这些大部分陈述都有列出根据来源(在我给的wiki连结里)的资料应该已经把何谓 绝对音感解释得相当清楚了， 也某种程度上澄清了 "黑键音听不太准还算绝对音感吗(大部分绝对音感者确实是听白键听得比较快且准)" 、 "绝对音感很稀有吗(在欧美地区还满稀有的，但在东亚颇常见)" 、 "绝对音感可以由後天训练吗(儿童通常可以，但成年人似乎很难)" 、 "有绝对音感的人在音乐上比较厉害吗(没这回事，比较重要的能力是相对音感。绝对音感 可有可无，有时甚至可能造成移调等方面的障碍)" 等等常见的疑惑。 如果对这些说法有疑虑者，可以点去我给的wiki连结找一下其叙述的根据来源， 看看那个来源是否足以说服你。或是检查一下我的翻译有没有翻错。 谢谢你看完这篇好长的文章，如果有意见的话欢迎讨论! --

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