Did you make this video for April Fool's Day?
Was this supposed to be a joke, 'cause I'm finding a lot of it funny.
If you're trying to be serious...sorry, but the title and the premise behind it is false and the reasons given are weak, narrow minded and unsubstantiated. To say that I disagree with much of what is in the video is an understatement. Plus, you contradict yourself by claiming that "there is no such thing as playing by ear" and then go and tell people "if you have a good ear...learn it note-for-note".
Wait, I thought you said...
Let me address the three "reasons" you've given:
1. perfect pitch people can't play music - this is a false generalization with no evidence offered. First, playing music requires MUCH more from a person than knowing what note is being sounded out. It requires timing, it requires coordination, it requires emotion and communication and it requires at least the basic understanding of melody and harmony. It does not require the person to be able to name the 12 notes spot on when they hear them. On the contrary, I could not name you a single note when I picked up the guitar when I was 12 years old, but I could, after a little practice, learn full complete songs, rhythm and solos and including the bass lines, drum fills and all vocal parts and harmonies simply by listening to them. Granted, I don't have perfect pitch, I have near perfect relative pitch. The two are different.
To add an alternate fact, I believe that my friend Vinnie Moore has perfect pitch (I'll talk to him and verify this) and he is undoubtedly one of the best guitarists in the world. (Google him, you'll see) I'm sure there are many other examples of those with perfect pitch who can play an instrument, but that doesn't mean that everyone who does, will.
2. lack playing up-to-date - again, a false generalization with no evidence given. What narrow pool of people did you draw this incorrect conclusion from? Most of the greatest musicians I know...many of them who have always played by ear (but they do know their theory)...stay current and actually draw from styles from generations both past and present. Regardless of the FACT that there are essentially only 12 notes, it doesn't take much time nor effort for a person with a good ear and a desire to learn to listen to any style from any genre (including various types of world music) and pick up on what's being played and then emulate it. People who wish to stay stuck in a particular period or style are doing so NOT because they "play by ear" but because that's what they choose to play and probably listen to.
3. why do you transpose - yet another false generalization with no evidence given, but I now see the target of your frustration and reason for your hypothesis; a few church keyboardists that you've probably come across who always play in the key of C. And by saying what you've said and doing what you've done in this video, you've totally written off all of the other musicians, church keyboardists included, who can easily transpose and play in every key...and who play by ear.
With all due respect, it sounds like you have a passion to teach others how to improve their playing and that's great, but you need to, as SavnBass said, "give it some thought and take your time" and teach a program that is full of beneficial data, facts and good practical music theory and remove all of what I sense as pride and nonsense opinions which, honestly, will make it very difficult for a lot of people to take you seriously.
If you're going to focus on "muscle memory" then do that, but don't ignore the fact that muscle memory develops first from 1) learning something by ear and/or 2) learning something that is read and then is sustained by the repeated practice of what was learned.
I know what I wrote may have seemed critical, but I get very passionate about people being taught what is honest and true. I've been a guitar and music teacher for 3 decades and I've seen the benefits of teaching via the web, but I've also witnessed so much waste and nonsense come from bad YouTube videos, bad websites, bad tab and via music forums and I've come across a lot of young budding musicians who have been taught a lot of garbage that they believe is true because they don't know any better and they trust those who are seemingly well-intentioned, but have led them astray. So, yeah, I take this stuff serious. We all should if it's what we've been called to do.
