Tone deaf test
Being tone deaf means not hearing when a tune changes. This test plays two short piano tunes twelve times, and half the time one note of the second is moved: say whether each pair was the same or different.
Twelve pairs, about two minutes. Headphones help.
How the test works
Listen to two tunes
A short piano tune plays, then another. Hear the pair again as often as you like.
Same or different
Half the time one note of the second tune is moved, out of the key or to another note in it. Tap Same or Different.
See what changed
Each answer says which note moved and how far. After twelve pairs you get your score and what it means.
What your score means
Half the pairs are different, so guessing gets about 6 of 12. A note moved out of the key is the easier change to hear; one moved to another note in the key is the harder one.
| Right of 12 | What it means |
|---|---|
| 11 to 12 | A sharp ear for a tune |
| 9 to 10 | Not tone deaf |
| 7 to 8 | Some changes slipped past |
| 0 to 6 | About what guessing gets |
Tone deaf or out of practice
Most people who call themselves tone deaf mean they can’t sing in tune. That is a different thing: hearing pitch is the ear, singing it is the voice, and a voice learns to land on a note with practice like any other skill.
The quickest way to practise is to sing a note and see how close you are, then slide until you land on it.
Sing into your mic and see the note you hit on the tuner.
Questions about being tone deaf
What does tone deaf mean?
Not hearing differences in pitch well enough to tell one tune from another, or to notice a wrong note in a song you know. When someone is born that way it is called congenital amusia.
How common is being tone deaf?
Rare. Estimates run from about 1.5 to 4 people in 100. Many more people think they are: in one study about one student in six said they were tone deaf, and most of them heard tunes as well as anyone.
I can’t sing in tune. Am I tone deaf?
Probably not. Hearing pitch and singing it are separate skills. Most people who sing out of tune hear the difference fine; their voice hasn’t learned to land on the note yet, and that comes with practice.
How does this tone deaf test work?
It plays two short tunes twelve times. In half the pairs one note of the second tune is moved, either out of the key or to another note in it, the way researchers test for amusia. It is a quick check, not a diagnosis.
Can tone deafness be cured?
Congenital amusia lasts a lifetime, and training has helped only a little in studies. For everyone else, the ear and the voice both get better with practice: singing with a reference note, ear training, playing an instrument.
Why take it with headphones?
Phone speakers and noise hide small changes, a half step most of all. Headphones somewhere quiet give the fairest score.
Make a tune of your own
Open the free editor with a beat playing and try notes on its keyboard until one fits. No account needed to start.
Keep going
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