Pitch Test (Ear Training)

An ear training game that plays notes and asks which of two notes is higher, which note you heard, or what the interval between two notes is. Use it to practise relative or perfect pitch, or to measure the smallest pitch difference you can hear.

How to use

1. Keep the "Volume" low and press "Test sound" to set a comfortable level.
2. Under "Game", choose "Higher or lower", "Name the note" or "Intervals", then press "Start".
3. Listen and pick your answer. Press "Play again" to hear the notes once more.
4. In "Name the note" you can set the "Range", the "Octave" and "Play the reference note (C) before each question"; in "Intervals" you can set the "Direction".

How it works

• "Higher or lower" starts with a gap of 100 cents (one semitone). The gap shrinks after two right answers in a row and grows after one miss (2-down 1-up). The last turnaround points give an estimate of the gap you get right about 71% of the time.
• Notes are synthesized in the browser with A4 = 440 Hz in equal temperament. "Intervals" covers 12 intervals from the minor 2nd to the octave.
• This is for fun and practice and is not a hearing test. If you are worried about your hearing, see a doctor.
• Settings and records are saved in this browser.

Questions and answers

Can I use this as a perfect pitch test?

In "Name the note", switch off the reference note so that you must name each note without any comparison; this is closer to perfect pitch. With the reference C on, you name the note by comparing it with C, which trains relative pitch.

What is a cent?

A cent is a unit for pitch differences: one semitone is 100 cents and one octave is 1200 cents. The gap between two frequencies is 1200 × log2(f2 ÷ f1) cents.

Do I need to name the octave too?

No. Any octave counts as long as the note name is right. Under "Octave" you can choose random octaves 3 to 5 or fix one octave.