Show HN: Teach your kids perfect pitch

What perfect/absolute pitch is (and isn’t)

• Several commenters argue that “absolute pitch” may just be very stable pitch memory plus relative pitch; others insist it feels qualitatively different (no need to recall a reference).
• Many note that most people have some pitch memory (e.g., singing songs near the original key).
• There’s debate whether using reference sounds like tinnitus or instrument timbre counts as “real” perfect pitch.

Trainability and critical period

• OP’s premise: young children can acquire perfect pitch; adults mostly cannot after ~6 years old.
• Others cite research and personal experience claiming adults can still develop it, though more slowly and via training/memorization.
• Some report discovering or improving perfect pitch in their teens or 20s through solfège and intensive ear training.
• One study is mentioned using psilocybin to reopen learning windows, but no outcomes discussed.
• At least one person who built a similar trainer reports that chord-color training did not straightforwardly generalize to single-note naming.

Pros, cons, and actual usefulness

• Strong view: perfect pitch is largely a “party trick”; relative pitch, harmony understanding, and rhythm are far more useful.
• Others counter that perfect pitch helps with fast transcription, improvisation, tuning fretless instruments, and starting pitches for choirs.
• Several musicians say perfect pitch can hinder transposition, jazz playing, and adapting to transposing instruments.
• Multiple comments describe perfect pitch as sometimes a “curse,” especially when ensembles drift in pitch, when historical tunings differ (A415, A432, A442+), or when DJ mixes change speed.
• Many emphasize that good relative pitch can be trained at any age, though it may require intense, repetitive exercises (interval ID, sight singing).

Aging and pitch drift

• Multiple people with lifelong perfect pitch report systematic drift (often about a semitone) in middle age.
• This mismatch between internal “labeling” and actual frequencies is described as deeply unsettling.
• It’s noted that increased or continued use may partially stabilize accuracy, but drift appears common and its cause is unknown.

Teaching kids and pedagogy

• Some argue against targeting perfect pitch at all, preferring broad musical exposure, play, and good teachers.
• Others think exploiting a developmental window is worthwhile, provided it’s combined with real musical training (instruments, harmony, relative pitch).
• Concern: focusing kids on absolute pitch may impede learning intervals and flexibility across keys.