I watched #Rocketman at the cinema today and thoroughly enjoyed it! Definitely go and watch it if you get the chance. Taron Egerton is great as @EltonJohn and the whole movie is put together brilliantly.
A couple of things really struck me about the movie:
The first was that Elton John is portrayed as having "perfect/absolute pitch". This being, by literal definition, the ability to; having heard a pitch replicate it on an instrument immediately and without mistake.
In the movie, a Strauss waltz comes on and he immediately begins to work out the melody. It seems as if it's the first time he's played the piano he can simply do it without practice.
This is absolute BS. No one has the ability to replicate a note the first time they touch a new instrument having never played that instrument before. How can you know a key sounds the way it does having never heard it before?
What does exist is RELATIVE PITCH. This is the ability to find a note via calculation/pattern/trial and error. This is what we need to WORK ON for Ear Training, Improvisation and Transcription.
I did a bit of research and I can't find any reference of Elton John claiming or being said to have "Absolute Pitch". He will have LISTENED to countless albums of his Dad's Jazz collection as stated in the movie. He will have ABSORBED different sounds, styles, genres to the point at which he knew what he wanted to replicate.
We can all gain very good relative pitch and play by ear if we practice and develop it in the right way. We don't need to instantly know if something is wrong or out of tune to within a cent.
The second point is that Elton struggled with lyrics. He is a fantastic pianist, has a great ear, has the stage presence of a legend but can't find the words to get this across.
We all have our weakness and magic happens when we find someone to guide us when we need it. My talents were always finding the issues people have and helping to solve them.
I'm looking forward to sharing my Ear Mastery course with you all soon and who knows what this will unlock in you!