Free tool guide
How the pitch test works and how to read your result
The pitch test listens to you sing a target note and measures how close you land and how steady you hold it. It runs in the browser with no app or signup. This guide explains what it actually measures, how to get a clean reading, and what your accuracy and stability numbers mean.
Free, runs in your browser, no signup.
How it works
The test plays a reference tone, then captures your microphone and runs a real-time pitch detector (autocorrelation) on the incoming audio to estimate the fundamental frequency you are singing.
It compares your detected pitch against the target in cents, 100 cents is one semitone, so being "a little flat" is measured precisely, not just pass/fail.
It also tracks how much your pitch drifts while you hold the note. Two singers can both hit the center and still score differently on stability, because steadiness is a separate skill from finding the note.
How to use it
- 1
Use headphones
Headphones stop the reference tone from leaking into your mic, which otherwise gets misread as your voice. Wired earbuds are fine; even one earbud helps.
- 2
Find a quiet space and allow the mic
Background noise and room echo confuse the detector. Pick a quiet room and click Allow when the browser asks for microphone access, nothing is recorded or uploaded.
- 3
Hum or sing "ah" at a comfortable volume
A steady, open vowel reads more cleanly than words. Sing at a relaxed mid-volume; pushing too hard adds breathiness that the detector reads as instability.
- 4
Match the reference tone and hold it
Listen first, then sing the same note and sustain it. Watch the live needle and adjust until it centers, then hold steady for the full count.
- 5
Read accuracy and stability separately
Your result splits into how close you landed (accuracy, in cents) and how steady you held it (stability). Improving each takes different practice.
What your pitch result means
Within ~15 cents: Effectively in tune, most listeners cannot hear an error this small. Focus next on stability and on harder intervals.
15–35 cents off: Noticeably off on sustained notes. Usually a matching-and-holding issue, not a "tone deaf" one, it responds quickly to targeted pitch-matching drills.
35+ cents off: A clear, trainable gap. Start with slow lip-trills and call-and-response matching before worrying about songs; the skill builds in weeks, not years.
Questions
Does the pitch test record my voice?
No. Audio is analyzed live in your browser to detect pitch and is never recorded, saved, or uploaded.
Why do I need headphones?
Without them, the reference tone plays out of your speakers and bleeds into your mic, where the detector mistakes it for your voice and inflates your score.
Is a bad score the same as being tone deaf?
Almost never. True congenital amusia is rare. Most low scores are an untrained matching-and-holding skill that improves quickly with daily practice.
What should I do after the test?
Use your accuracy-vs-stability split to pick a focus, then run a structured daily vocal plan that drills the weaker one first.
Try it now, then keep going
The diagnostic takes a minute. When you want a structured daily plan that drills your weak spots, Main Act builds one across all three disciplines.