What this test measures
Absolute pitch, often called perfect pitch, is the ability to name a note without hearing any reference first. This test plays 12 pure sine tones in random octaves, with a short burst of random tones before each one so you can't work out a note from the last one you heard. It records how many you name correctly and how fast.
How to read your score
- About 1 right is what random guessing gets you, since there are 12 notes.
- Near misses (one semitone off) suggest some memory for pitch, often from years of playing an instrument.
- 10 or more right, quickly looks like genuine absolute pitch. People who have it usually answer in a second or two.
Sine waves are harder than piano notes, because there's no instrument sound to recognise. Many people with absolute pitch score lower on pure tones than on their own instrument.
Can adults learn perfect pitch?
It was long thought to be impossible after early childhood. Recent studies are more hopeful: in one, musicians who trained for 25 hours learned to identify around seven pitches at 90% accuracy; in another, some adults with strong auditory working memory reached near-genuine performance after months of training. Not everyone gets there, which is why the course treats it as an experiment and builds relative pitch first.
Questions
What is perfect pitch?
Perfect pitch, or absolute pitch, is the ability to identify or sing a note without any reference note. It's rare: most musicians, including many professionals, don't have it. More on what perfect pitch is.
How rare is perfect pitch?
It's often estimated at around 1 in 10,000 people in Western populations, and it's more common among people who started music very young and speakers of tonal languages like Mandarin.
Do I need perfect pitch to be a good musician?
No. Relative pitch, hearing how notes relate to each other, is what most musicians rely on to play by ear, transcribe and sing in tune. It can be trained by anyone.
Why is a sine wave test harder?
A sine wave has no overtones, so there's no instrument colour to recognise. You have to identify the pitch itself.
Is this test accurate?
It's a quick online check, not a lab test. Results depend on your headphones, your surroundings and how you're feeling. Take it a few times on different days for a fairer picture.
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