I've been in the music business a long time - as a player, teacher and writer. It's always galled me when folks (including some musicians) have talked about "perfect pitch" in awed tones, as if it were some magical talent. "Perfect" isn't even the right descriptive word, which should be "absolute.") I'm writing this, because people are wasting money on bogus methods of acquiring "perfect pitch." SAVE YOUR $. IT'S TOTAL B.S.!

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Is the above question a non sequitur ? Read on.

First, let's get one thing straight.   The correct term is "absolute" pitch, not "perfect" pitch. If you are a music lover, what follows here could conceivably save you from being bilked - ironically, by another kind of perfect pitch .

First of all, what we will be talking about here is "absolute pitch," which is the correct term for a certain kind of musical talent. Let's begin by talking about what absolute pitch means, and if it is a blessing "or a curse. How can it be a curse? Ask any professional musician, particularly a player of what is called a transposing instrument.   Simply stated, a transposing instrument does not sound the note that is written. (We should quit this part while we're ahead!)

Absolute pitch refers to the innate ability of someone to recognize the letter name of a pitch , without any frame of reference.   Is that impressive? Ask any professional musician.   The answer may surprise you!

An individual hears a pitch - "daaaaaah" and says "That's an F sharp!   And he or she is right!   It IS F# !   "VOILA!"   If someone uses that French exclamation as a retort to that particular show of talent, it's very likely sarcasm.   It's another way of saying "So what!!"

All musicians will tell you that a far more important and necessary talent is having a strong sense of "relative" pitch, which means that someone can hear a pitch -   "daaaaaah" and immediately say "That's an F sharp!" and be right, IF he or she has a frame of reference; specifically another pitch.     

This is a necessary ability a competent musician must possess, but you are not apt to hear one sing "daaaaaah" and proclaim "That's an A flat!"   Indeed, a real musician will cast an openly snide smile at such a performer.   (This, of course, does not include students at a music school. 

Here is an interesting fact:   In an orchestra, the players "tune up" to the note "A" which is played by the principal oboist as a reference.   After hearing that tuning note countless times, most players have it memorized, in the sense that its pitch is burned into their psyches. Thus, they have a referential pitch in their noggins and could possibly fake having "perfect pitch at parties, if they wished.   (Some just might do that, if they had a couple of drinks and were not dealing with cognoscenti.)

What this all adds up to is this.   A strong sense of   relative pitch is an important prerequisite for all musicians.   BUT THERE IS A SCENARIO WHERE ABSOLUTE PITCH IS HELPFUL, IF NOT NECESSARY.

Singers are musicians (a good share of the time) and if a singer is performing something called "atonal" music, absolute pitch is almost a must.

Ah me, how can I explain this"Let's just say that music is predominantly "tonal" which means any one of the black and white piano keys may serve as a "home base" that the others play games with.

In atonal music, there is no "home base."   So vocalists are helped immensely by a strong sense of  absolute pitch! Okay, I can hear you saying "strong sense?"   Look, if athletes can produce varying degrees of skill, why not musicians?   Absolute pitch occurs in varying degrees of acuteness.   (But please"let me escape from this hole that I've dug.    Thanks.)

Now, here's the part that many nervous investors are waiting for.    Did you spend a lot of dough because someone advertised that you can develop "perfect pitch" with the help of an expensive set of CD's to train your musical ear "to acquire it?"    And were you told that your newly acquired musical skills would enable you to do an assortment of wonderful musical things, such as recognizing harmonies (chord changes?)    Did you invest? Do you feel that all the money you spent on those training CD's so that you might have "perfect pitch" paid off? Did you swallow all   those ecstatic testimonials by new "perfect pitchers?"

I'll end my tirade with two words: Caveat Emptor! *

Look, even if you could acquire absolute pitch it does not do all of those wonderful things you were told. Just enjoy and love the music with the ears that you were given.  

It's great to improve your listening skills, but don't count on "perfect pitch."   (and save your $$$)

*   Buyer Beware!

Authors Bio:
I have spent a long and interesting life involved in music, as a performer (piano,) educator (at every level from elementary to graduate school,) solo pianist, bandleader, composer/songwriter; entertainer, storyteller and humorist.

In my final position as a teacher, I taught functional keyboard harmony at Onondaga Community College at Syracuse, N.Y. I earned a B.S. in music education at the Crane Department of music at SUNY Potsdam and a M.S. in music education at Ithaca College.

I also had the honor of serving as president of the New York School Music Association. After retiring from music education I have performed extensively, presenting musical programs which featured stories about the great standards, coupled with performance. These performances were facilitated by my having a repertoire of over 3,000 songs, coupled with extensive knowledge of their origins, which included many humorous stories.

In the last decade, I have worked with a songwriting partner, Maria DeAngelis, a vocalist who provided lyrics and performances of our tunes. We succeeded in having many of our songs used both in movies and network television as background music.

As a bandleader, I was involved in playing with my group for over 1,500 wedding receptions. Because of this extensive experience, I was motivated to write a book WEDDING RECEPTION SECRETS, which provided much valuable and "inside" information (from the viewpoint of a bandleader) for couples who were planning their wedding. Along the way, I composed music for a syndicated children's TV series.
I was the first of four children, born to my Mom and Dad in Saranac Lake, N.Y. Both of my parents, although untrained, had wonderful musical ears. I and my siblings inherited their musical sensitivities.

One can see from the foregoing that I had ample opportunities to enjoy music from several vantage points. I am 83 years old and happy to say that I continue to be very active. I attribute much of my good health to my interest in information in the area of healthy living and care. For the past fifteen years, I have undergone EDTA chelation therapy. I believe my longevity is related to that.

In addition to the foregoing, I must add my deep concern with today's course of events in the world. I've always been interested in politics and what factors are responsible for what is happening in the world.

I sense, with deep sadness, a degradation of manners, morals and public awareness. My gut feeling is that television has been misused, and become a device that Aldous Huxley would have given a prominent role in his BRAVE NEW WORLD.

I have many favorite quotations, but the one that is most profound, in my opinion, is one by Albert Einstein: "WITH THE SPLITTING OF THE ATOM, EVERYTHING HAS CHANGED EXCEPT OUR WAY OF THINKING." *

* In the summer of 1944, I was boatboy at a private consortium of six summer homes on Lower Saranac Lake (The Knollwood.) The occupant of Cottage 6 was Albert Einstein.
I saw him several times over the course of that summer. To me (in retrospect) that was an awesome experience!

Phil Klein