Perfect Pitch is the ability to recall any note at will without relying on a reference note. People with perfect pitch can tell you what key a song is in just by hearing it, and can sing a given note, say, a C#, out of the blue. This is associated with freakishly talented musicians like Mozart.
And it is freaky, seeing someone give the name of a note you play for them on a piano when they can’t see the keys. Perfect pitch not a miraculous thing, though, or a human genetic mutation; it’s just a product of training; a learned skill like skateboarding. Studies have associated perfect pitch with musical training in early childhood, so it might be something acquired the same way language is.
Lots of adults have learned it themselves simply through repetitive practice. So perfect pitch is less rare than one might think. In fact, I think most people have it to a certain degree. You can try it yourself: while in a quiet environment, think of a recorded song you’ve listened to throughout your lifetime. Sing the first note, then put the song on the stereo. Chances are you will be right.
