There's a certain age beyond which you cannot learn proper speech. There's a certain age beyond which you cannot learn absolute pitch.

It wouldn't be surprising if there was a certain age beyond which you cannot learn to understand music.

> There's a certain age beyond which you cannot learn absolute pitch

I can understand things like that get harder and harder as you become adult. That it's absolutely not possible beyond a certain age I think is just a commonly held belief that doesn't hold up to scrutiny.

What is this age limit where you've never seen anyone be able to gain that skill? I'm sure there are counter-examples.

Interestingly enough, I once read that no one over the age of 60 has ever _retained_ perfect pitch

It is commonly lost in a person's late 50s to early 60s, but there are cases of individuals retaining it into their 70s and 80s.

Further, the decline is gradual. Individuals who lose perfect pitch in 440hz tuning typically retain it at 415hz tuning for several more years.