The test plays single piano notes at random, with no starting note to compare against. Name each one on the keyboard. People with perfect (absolute) pitch name notes instantly; everyone else can still see how close they get and which notes they confuse.
Last updated:
ReadyScore –
Press Start test, listen to the note, then click its name.
Correct notes0%
Accuracy for each note (correct / times played)
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How to use the Perfect Pitch Test
Pick a difficulty and range. White keys in one octave is the gentlest start; all 12 keys is the real perfect pitch test.
Press Start test. Random interference tones play first (if enabled), then the test note.
Click the note you heard on the on-screen keyboard, or type its letter (Shift + letter for a sharp). Press Space to hear it again.
In Name + octave mode, choose the octave first, then the note.
Review your result: overall accuracy, near-misses, octave errors and which notes you mix up.
Note names and frequencies
All notes are tuned to standard concert pitch, A4 = 440 Hz, in twelve-tone equal temperament. Each semitone step multiplies the frequency by the twelfth root of 2 (about 1.0595), so f = 440 × 2(n − 69) / 12 Hz for MIDI note number n. Octave 4 is the one that starts at middle C.
Note
Also called
Solfège
Octave 3
Octave 4
Octave 5
C
B♯
Do
130.81 Hz
261.63 Hz (middle C)
523.25 Hz
C♯
D♭
–
138.59 Hz
277.18 Hz
554.37 Hz
D
–
Re
146.83 Hz
293.66 Hz
587.33 Hz
D♯
E♭
–
155.56 Hz
311.13 Hz
622.25 Hz
E
F♭
Mi
164.81 Hz
329.63 Hz
659.26 Hz
F
E♯
Fa
174.61 Hz
349.23 Hz
698.46 Hz
F♯
G♭
–
185.00 Hz
369.99 Hz
739.99 Hz
G
–
Sol
196.00 Hz
392.00 Hz
783.99 Hz
G♯
A♭
–
207.65 Hz
415.30 Hz
830.61 Hz
A
–
La
220.00 Hz
440.00 Hz
880.00 Hz
A♯
B♭
–
233.08 Hz
466.16 Hz
932.33 Hz
B
C♭
Ti (Si)
246.94 Hz
493.88 Hz
987.77 Hz
Perfect pitch versus relative pitch
Relative pitch is hearing the distance between notes: if someone plays C and then you hear a note a major third higher, you can work out that it is E. Most trained musicians rely on it. Absolute pitch is recognising the note itself with no reference. A test that plays one note after another lets relative-pitch listeners "cheat" from the previous answer, which is why this test plays a quick burst of random interference tones before each note. Turn the interference off if you want to practise with relative pitch instead.
How to read your result
Chance level is 1 in 12 (about 8%) for all keys and 1 in 7 (about 14%) for white keys; in Name + octave mode it is divided again by the number of octaves.
Near-misses (one semitone away) mean your sense of pitch is close but not exact. Lots of near-misses and few big errors suggest a good pitch memory.
Octave errors show you know the note's "colour" but not its height. They are most common at the extremes of the range.
Answer time matters too: people with absolute pitch usually name a note in well under two seconds, without thinking it through.
Frequently asked questions
What is perfect pitch?
Perfect pitch, or absolute pitch, is the ability to name or sing a musical note without hearing a reference note first. Someone with absolute pitch hears a car horn and knows it is roughly an F, for example. It is rare: estimates for the general population are often given as around 1 in 10,000, with higher rates among musicians who started training very young and among speakers of tonal languages.
How does this test work?
It plays a randomly chosen piano note and asks you to name it. Because there is no reference note and the interference tones scramble your short-term pitch memory, you cannot work out the answer from the previous note using relative pitch. Each answer is marked correct, a semitone near-miss, an octave error or wrong.
What score suggests perfect pitch?
People with genuine absolute pitch typically name notes quickly and almost always correctly, often with occasional semitone errors. A high score on all 12 keys with interference on and quick answers is a strong sign. Random guessing on all 12 keys scores about 8% (1 in 12), and about 14% (1 in 7) on white keys only.
What is an octave error?
An octave error means you named the right note letter but in the wrong octave, for example answering C5 when the note was C4. Many absolute pitch possessors are good at note names but less certain about octaves, especially at the high and low ends of the piano, which is why octave errors are counted separately in Name + octave mode.
What is a semitone near-miss?
A near-miss is an answer one semitone (one piano key) away from the correct note, such as F♯ for G. Semitone errors are the most common mistake even for people with absolute pitch, so the test reports them separately from bigger errors.
Can adults learn perfect pitch?
Research suggests true absolute pitch usually develops in early childhood, but adults can improve their note identification with practice, often by learning the character of a few anchor notes. Most adult learners get better at the task without reaching the instant, effortless recognition of people who developed it early.
Which tuning does the test use?
All notes use standard equal temperament with A4 tuned to 440 Hz. Each note's frequency is 440 × 2^((n − 69) / 12) Hz, where n is its MIDI note number (middle C, C4, is 60 and about 261.63 Hz).
Are all the tools on FreeToolCabin tested for quality and accuracy?
Yes! Every tool on our site undergoes automated Q/A testing in real browser environments to ensure high precision, correct output, and zero errors. If you happen to spot a bug or have a suggestion, please contact us at [email protected] and our team will review it right away.