Relative Pitch Test
You are told the first note β your ear has to find the second. Name the next note, the interval between two notes, or (on Hard) the type of chord. 15 questions per round.
How it works
Choose a level and press Start. Each round has 15 questions that alternate between types. In a note question you are told the first note and must name the second. In an interval question you name the distance between two notes (on Easy the second note is always higher). Hard adds intervals played together and chords of four types. After every answer you see the correct answer and can replay it, so wrong answers become practice. Your best score for each level is saved in this browser. Press Space to replay the sound.
Relative pitch versus absolute pitch
Absolute pitch is naming a note with nothing to compare it to. Relative pitch is naming a note once you know another one: if you are told the first note is C and you hear the second note a major third higher, you can say it is E. The first is rare and mostly fixed early in childhood; the second is what nearly every trained musician relies on, and it can be learned at any age.
In practice relative pitch does almost everything a musician needs: playing a melody by ear, tuning a string against another, harmonising, and writing down a tune you hear. That is why ear-training courses at music schools are built around intervals rather than isolated notes. This test works the same way, which is why you are always given the first note.
Remember intervals with the opening of a tune
The fastest way to recognise an interval is to link it to the first two notes of a melody you already know. When you hear an interval, sing the start of each candidate tune in your head and see which one fits. The examples below are traditional or classical melodies.
- Minor 2nd (down): the first two notes of Beethoven's FΓΌr Elise.
- Major 2nd: Frère Jacques ("Frè-re"), or the "-py birth-" step in Happy Birthday.
- Minor 3rd: the start of Brahms's Lullaby ("Lul-la-by").
- Major 3rd: When the Saints Go Marching In ("Oh when").
- Perfect 4th: Wagner's Bridal Chorus ("Here comes"), or Amazing Grace ("A-ma").
- Perfect 5th: Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star (the jump from the second to the third note, "-kle, twin-").
- Major 6th: My Bonnie Lies over the Ocean ("My Bon-").
- Octave: the same note, higher β the two notes blend so well they almost sound like one.
How to train relative pitch
Short and frequent beats long and rare: one round of this test a day (about three minutes) does more than an hour once a week. Stay on Easy until you score 13 or more out of 15 twice in a row, then move up. On Medium the hardest pairs are usually the minor and major versions of the same number (3rds, 6ths, 7ths) β when you miss one, press Hear the answer and listen for whether it sounds brighter (major) or darker (minor).
Sing as well as listen. Humming the second note before you answer forces you to hold the first note in memory, which is exactly the skill being built. Downward intervals feel harder at first because most reference tunes go up; a useful trick is to imagine the lower note first and flip the interval in your head. Chords on Hard follow the same logic: a major triad is a major 3rd with a minor 3rd on top, a minor triad is the reverse, diminished is two minor 3rds and augmented is two major 3rds.
Reading your score
Guessing on Medium gives about 1 correct answer in 12, so even 5 or 6 out of 15 there means your ear is doing real work. On Easy, 13+ is a solid foundation; on Medium, 11+ is the level most music-school entrance exams expect; on Hard, 10+ means you can recognise intervals and chord colours reliably. Use headphones or a quiet room β a noisy phone speaker makes low notes hard to hear.
Frequently asked questions
What is relative pitch?
Relative pitch is the ability to identify a note or an interval by comparing it with a note you already know. Given a reference such as C, someone with good relative pitch can name the next note from the distance between them. It is the core skill behind playing by ear, transcribing and tuning.
How is it different from perfect pitch?
Perfect (absolute) pitch names a note with no reference at all, and it is rare. Relative pitch always uses a reference note. Most professional musicians have strong relative pitch rather than absolute pitch, and relative pitch is enough for nearly every musical task. You can try both: this page for relative pitch and the Perfect Pitch Test for absolute pitch.
Can adults develop relative pitch?
Yes. Unlike absolute pitch, relative pitch keeps improving with practice at any age. Short daily sessions work best: a round or two a day, moving up a level once you score 13 or more out of 15 consistently.
What do "major", "minor" and "perfect" mean in interval names?
The number counts letter names from the first note to the second (C to E is a 3rd). 2nds, 3rds, 6ths and 7ths come in two sizes: major (one semitone wider) and minor. 4ths, 5ths and octaves have one standard size called perfect. The tritone sits exactly halfway, six semitones. On this test each interval name matches one number of semitones, from 1 (minor 2nd) to 12 (octave).
How do I tell major, minor, diminished and augmented chords apart?
Listen for colour first. Major sounds bright and settled, minor sounds darker or sadder, diminished sounds tense and narrow, and augmented sounds strange and unresolved, as if it wants to move. Structurally, major is a major 3rd plus a minor 3rd, minor is the reverse, diminished stacks two minor 3rds and augmented stacks two major 3rds.
What is a good score?
On Easy, 13 or more out of 15 is a solid base. On Medium, where guessing gives about 1 in 12, scoring 11 or more is a strong result. On Hard, 10 or more means you hear intervals and chord colours reliably. Your best score per level is saved in this browser so you can track progress.
I can't hear anything. What should I check?
Browsers only allow sound after you tap the page, so press Start first. Then check that your device is not in silent mode (on iPhone, the side switch also mutes web audio) and that the volume is up. Headphones make the lower notes much clearer than a phone speaker.