What is the difference between relative pitch and perfect pitch?

Relative pitch is identifying notes and intervals by comparing them to a reference you've just heard — you work out the second note from the first. Perfect (absolute) pitch is naming a note with no reference at all. Relative pitch is common and highly trainable; perfect pitch is rare and usually appears only after early-childhood musical training.

Can you learn relative pitch?

Yes — relative pitch is one of the most trainable musical skills. With regular ear-training practice (interval drills, singing intervals, linking them to familiar songs), almost anyone can improve substantially, and most working musicians develop strong relative pitch this way rather than being born with it.

Why does the starting note change every trial?

Each trial begins on a different, randomly chosen note so you can't answer by remembering a fixed pitch. That forces you to judge the interval — the relationship between the two notes — which is exactly what relative pitch measures.

Is a low score a sign of a hearing problem?

No. This is a musical-skill screen, not a hearing test. A low score usually just means you haven't trained interval recognition yet, and it can improve quickly with practice. If you're worried specifically about your hearing, a pure-tone hearing check or an audiologist is the right next step.

How accurate is this test?

It's a screening indication, not a certified assessment. Because it plays through your own headphones and browser it can't be perfectly calibrated, and tuning may differ slightly from a real piano. Scoring consistently above the 17% chance level is a good sign of real relative pitch; treat the exact number as a rough guide that you can improve.

Audition

Test d'oreille relative

Identifiez les intervalles musicaux à l'oreille et mesurez votre oreille relative, la compétence qui s'entraîne.

~4 minDurée

Musical interval identification (relative pitch)Méthode

GratuitCoût

Avant de commencer

Utilisez un casque dans une pièce calme. Réglez le volume à un niveau modéré et confortable avant de commencer.

Comment ça marche

1Put on headphones in a quiet room — Two clean notes are easier to compare without background noise or speaker distortion colouring the pitches.
2Listen, then name the interval — Two notes play in sequence. Pick the interval between them from the six buttons. You can replay the pair as often as you like before answering.
3Repeat across twelve intervals — Each trial starts on a different note. Your overall accuracy is compared to the 17% you'd expect from chance.

1Use headphones, not laptop speakers — Small speakers distort low and high notes and add their own resonances, which muddies the comparison. Over-ear or in-ear headphones give the cleanest pair of notes.
2It's fine to hum or compare the two notes — Unlike a perfect-pitch test, relative pitch is all about comparing notes. Humming the lower note, then the higher one, or imagining a familiar tune that starts with that interval is a perfectly valid strategy.
3Replay freely — there's no time pressure — This measures whether you can hear the interval, not how fast. Replay the pair as many times as you need before committing to an answer.

name the interval

4′

Musical interval identification (relative pitch)

Ce que ça mesure

This test checks your relative pitch — the ability to recognise musical intervals, the distance between two notes, by ear. It measures how accurately you can name an interval such as a perfect fifth or an octave after hearing the two notes that form it.

Comment ça marche

You hear two piano-like notes played one after the other, low note then high note, and choose the interval between them from six common options (major 2nd, major 3rd, perfect 4th, perfect 5th, major 6th, octave). Each trial uses a different randomly chosen starting note, so you can't rely on remembering a fixed pitch — only on hearing the relationship between the two notes. You do this across twelve trials. With six options, pure guessing scores about 17%, so the result compares your accuracy against that chance level to show whether your interval recognition is meaningfully better than guessing.

Conseils pour un résultat fiable

1Anchor intervals to songs you know — Many intervals match the opening of a well-known tune — for example a perfect fifth opens 'Twinkle, Twinkle' and an octave opens 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow'. Linking sounds to songs is a classic ear-training shortcut.
2Practise a little and often — Relative pitch responds well to short, frequent sessions. A few minutes of interval drills most days improves recognition faster than occasional long sessions.
3Retest to track your progress — Because this skill is trainable, retaking the test after some ear training is a good way to see real improvement over weeks rather than a fixed verdict on your ability.

Fiabilité et limites

This is a musical-skill screen, not a hearing test or a clinical assessment, and it cannot diagnose any condition. It runs on your own device, so the exact tuning and timbre depend on your headphones, device volume, and browser, and it is uncalibrated. Unlike a hearing screen, a low score does not indicate a hearing problem — relative pitch is a learned skill that improves with practice, so scores can rise substantially as you train. If you have concerns about your hearing rather than your musical ear, see an audiologist.

Références et lectures complémentaires

Deutsch, D. (2013). The Psychology of Music (3rd ed.), Academic Press — interval perception and relative pitch.
McDermott, J. H., & Oxenham, A. J. (2008). Music perception, pitch, and the auditory system. Current Opinion in Neurobiology, 18(4).
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)

L'Institute of Doctors propose des outils de dépistage éducatifs et des conseils par IA. Ils ne constituent pas un diagnostic médical et ne remplacent jamais un professionnel de santé qualifié. En cas de problème de santé, consultez un médecin.

Questions fréquentes

Poursuivez votre bilan

DisponibleAudition

Test d'oreille absolue

Découvrez si vous avez l'oreille absolue : nommez des notes de piano isolées et comparez votre précision au hasard.

Passer un test

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Test d'amusie (fausse oreille)

Êtes-vous vraiment « faux » ? Repérez la note fausse dans de courtes mélodies et dépistez l'amusie congénitale.

Passer un test

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Test de discrimination des hauteurs

Mesurez la plus petite différence de hauteur que vous percevez et découvrez si vous êtes vraiment « sourd aux notes ».

Passer un test