This is actually question my daughter posed and I’m pretty stumped. She asked how, if two people with (let’s say) perfect pitch sing a song, how is it possible that we can still tell who is singing when the notes would be identical?
Note: I know absolutely nothing about music, but figured this was the best place to ask for her.
Edit: Wow, many of these answers are incredible! I had no idea this would receive such in depth and thoughtful feedback. I have learned a huge amount. I was not exaggerating above when I said I know nothing about music (I don’t even know what pitch is – just quoted my daughter on that) and I’m grateful to those of you who took the time to help me learn.
In: Biology
Pitch is only one element of sound. The human voice has many components, only one of which is pitch. Another poster mentioned timbre, that’s another component. Tonal quality also includes things like how steady you hold a note. Perfect pitch only tells you when you’re off the note. It doesn’t grant you the ability to sing it as perfectly as you can hear it. Some can tell you what note it is, others can only tell whether or not it’s flat or sharp. If they sing, they warble like a cockatoo.
Vibrato is another part of tonal quality. Sometimes it can lend warmth to the music. Other times, it’s annoying. Barbershop music should never be sung with vibrato — you want the chord to ring pure, and it can’t do that if each singer is vibrating differently from the others. Choir music can get away with vibrato, especially with lead or solo singers, and opera is almost defined by it.
Two people can be singing the same note straight tone, no vibrato, and they’re still distinct because one resonates the tone in their head, while the other resonates it in their chest. The former sounds nasal, the latter richer and fuller, but it’s still the same note.
There’s lots to music that isn’t about pitch.
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