If you aren’t familiar with the concept of “perfect pitch,” it is the ability to recognize the pitch of a note or to produce any given note without the benefit of a reference tone. As a very rare skill among musicians, it’s often referred to as a gift and a curse. In any case, it certainly gives those who possess it a serious edge when it comes to music theory. To see a bit of perfect pitch in action, check out this video of Charlie Puth putting his skills to the test!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BsPCxreAt8z/

Charlie is using the Clear Tune app in this video, and it’s the perfect app to bust out in a group of musicians and let everyone have a try! It’s even a good app to use for practice, as perfect pitch can be acquired with a lot of ear training and dedication. But before you try to impress your friends with your spot-on pitch, maybe you need to test yourself and see exactly where you stand. We’ve put together a short test of only 10 questions to give you an idea!

Take the Test

Each example will be played through twice. Carefully listen, and grab a pencil and piece of paper. Write down your answers as you go and check them in the answer key at the end of the test!

Do your best not to use any keyboard or device to check your pitch.

1. What note is this?

2. What note is this?

3. What note is this?

4. What scale is this?

5. What scale is this?

6. What key is this chord progression in?

7. What is the last note in this melody?

8. What key is this chord progression in?

9. What is the last note in this melody?

10. What is this note?

Take a breath, because you’ve finished. Scroll down to see the answers!

Answer Key

1. A
2. D
3. E-Flat / D-Sharp
4. B Major Scale
5. C Minor Melodic Scale
6. A-Flat Major
7. C
8. F Major
9. E
10. G

How’d you do? Share this test with your friends and see if they can beat your score!