[SIZE=+3]Pitch = frequency of sound[/SIZE] For example, middle C in equal temperament = 261.6 Hz
Sounds may be generally characterized by pitch,
loudness, and
quality. The perceived pitch of a sound is just the ear's response to frequency, i.e., for most practical purposes the pitch is just the frequency. The pitch perception of the human
ear is understood to operate basically by the
place theory, with some
sharpening mechanism necessary to explain the remarkably
high resolution of human pitch perception.
The place theory and its refinements provide plausible models for the perception of the relative pitch of two tones, but do not explain the phenomenon of
perfect pitch.
The
just noticeable difference in pitch is conveniently expressed in
cents, and the standard figure for the human ear is 5 cents.
