Question:
What does it mean to have perfect pitch?
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
What people call perfect pitch is usually what is more correctly referred to as absolute pitch, or AP.
With AP you would be able to recognize pitch and key, and be able to do so without external reference. "Passive" AP means you can recognize notes and possibly multiple notes at the same time while "active" AP means you also have the ability to sing back any pitch perfectly.
You can have AP and not have to be an musician, but development of AP is dependent on early musical training. It is also more prevalent in Asian countries like China, wherein language, meaning is relayed by pitch (&monotone would mean meaningless)