# The Perfect Pitch Test



## ManolitoMystiq

http://perfectpitchtest.com/

I did it several times, today. Just now, I got 12 out of 12, but I might've just been lucky.

I tend to recall intros of songs I hear when a given note has been played:

C: The Simpsons Theme (Danny Elfman)
C#/Db: The Winner Takes It All (ABBA)
D: The Phantom of the Opera (Andrew Lloyd Webber)
D#/Eb: You're Still the One (Shania Twain)
E: The Unforgiven (Metallica), Welcome Home (Metallica)
F: Smells Like Teen Spirit (Nirvana)
F#/Gb: Hotel California (Eagles, The)
G: Mars: Bringer of War (Gustav Holst)
G#/Ab: Somebody to Love (Queen)
A: Stairway to Heaven (Led Zeppelin), Kashmir (Led Zeppelin)
A#/Bb: Legend of Zelda NES (Koji Kondo)
B: Batman Theme (Danny Elfman), Fade to Black (Metallica)

And I might have used some relative pitch skills unconsciously. It's worth a try, though: Pick your favorite melodies/songs covering the twelve tones. Long, steady, and isolated notes are obviously recommended (intro to The Unforgiven), but combined with countermelodies/harmonies could work as well (at least it does to me with Hotel California). Somebody to Love is not a good example because of Freddie's glide to the A-flat.

The easiest ones for me are B, C#, E, and C.

EDIT: Just did a fast run, 0 mistakes. I still think I'm cheating a bit. We'll see how it goes.


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## clavichorder

I have taken this with a perfect score before. But I'd need to take it again.

Relative pitch is hard to avoid once you pick out the first note, but I think enough confusing things happening and you allowing yourself to be confused, can give you a fresh start.


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## Turangalîla

When I was nine years old my grandma developed my perfect pitch by first starting with relative pitch, where she would play an interval, the first one being C, and I had to name the second note (I was already good at recognizing intervals for piano examinations). I eventually memorized the sound of a C, and then everything else came quickly.

That being said, I got 12 out of 12. And ManolitoMystiq, if you got 12 out of 12 too, I wouldn't doubt that you have perfect pitch. Don't be so hard on yourself!


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## millionrainbows

Interesting...I got 10 of 12 on the PP, and all 8 right on relative. That's cold, going in first-time.


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## ManolitoMystiq

CarterJohnsonPiano said:


> When I was nine years old my grandma developed my perfect pitch by first starting with relative pitch, where she would play an interval, the first one being C, and I had to name the second note (I was already good at recognizing intervals for piano examinations). I eventually memorized the sound of a C, and then everything else came quickly.
> 
> That being said, I got 12 out of 12. And ManolitoMystiq, if you got 12 out of 12 too, I wouldn't doubt that you have perfect pitch. Don't be so hard on yourself!


Yeah, but I don't get them all the time. Just now, I got 10 out of 12.

I do recognize pitches in a way. I usually know when it's a C, B. G is sometimes tricky. I'll work on this everyday. I might just need some more confidence in my ears.


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## Mahlerian

ManolitoMystiq said:


> I do recognize pitches in a way. I usually know when it's a C, B. G is sometimes tricky. I'll work on this everyday. I might just need some more confidence in my ears.


G is one note I can sing without any prompt. It's the first note of Beethoven's Symphony No. 5!


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## clavichorder

Mahlerian said:


> G is one note I can sing without any prompt. It's the first note of Beethoven's Symphony No. 5!


That's an odd reference for G, considering the context of a firm C minor. I guess the dominant isn't too far off.


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## Mahlerian

clavichorder said:


> That's an odd reference for G, considering the context of a firm C minor. I guess the dominant isn't too far off.


From a tonal perspective, no, it's pretty close. I can also easily move from that G to E-flat, and then to F, followed by D!


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## oogabooha

ManolitoMystiq said:


> http://perfectpitchtest.com/
> 
> I did it several times, today. Just now, I got 12 out of 12, but I might've just been lucky.
> 
> I tend to recall intros of songs I hear when a given note has been played:
> 
> C: The Simpsons Theme (Danny Elfman)
> C#/Db: The Winner Takes It All (ABBA)
> D: The Phantom of the Opera (Andrew Lloyd Webber)
> D#/Eb: You're Still the One (Shania Twain)
> E: The Unforgiven (Metallica), Welcome Home (Metallica)
> F: Smells Like Teen Spirit (Nirvana)
> F#/Gb: Hotel California (Eagles, The)
> G: Mars: Bringer of War (Gustav Holst)
> G#/Ab: Somebody to Love (Queen)
> A: Stairway to Heaven (Led Zeppelin), Kashmir (Led Zeppelin)
> A#/Bb: Legend of Zelda NES (Koji Kondo)
> B: Batman Theme (Danny Elfman), Fade to Black (Metallica)
> 
> And I might have used some relative pitch skills unconsciously. It's worth a try, though: Pick your favorite melodies/songs covering the twelve tones. Long, steady, and isolated notes are obviously recommended (intro to The Unforgiven), but combined with countermelodies/harmonies could work as well (at least it does to me with Hotel California). Somebody to Love is not a good example because of Freddie's glide to the A-flat.
> 
> The easiest ones for me are B, C#, E, and C.
> 
> EDIT: Just did a fast run, 0 mistakes. I still think I'm cheating a bit. We'll see how it goes.


I just did it 3 times and I recognized all of the pitches immediately. I guess that means I have perfect pitch? I've been told that I have perfect pitch, but I always thought I didn't because I learned the pitches the same way you did. When I was growing up and listening to music, I defined _some_ pitches based on certain tunes (the earliest example I can remember is probably E being the first note of the bassline in "Don't Stop Believing", but even then there were some pitches I learned through performing etc.) and since then it's just become a part of me? Or was my early perception of what perfect pitch is wrong and that it is just like colors and once they're named you can recognize them?


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## clavichorder

Mahlerian said:


> From a tonal perspective, no, it's pretty close. I can also easily move from that G to E-flat, and then to F, followed by D!


Sure, but my mind gets filled with that C minor chord on first impulse. If you are of more refined immediate perceptions, then that's a good thing!


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## MaestroViolinist

All I'm saying is that I don't have perfect pitch. Going along with that test anyways.


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## Bone

ManolitoMystiq said:


> http://perfectpitchtest.com/
> 
> C: The Simpsons Theme (Danny Elfman)
> C#/Db: The Winner Takes It All (ABBA)
> D: The Phantom of the Opera (Andrew Lloyd Webber)
> D#/Eb: You're Still the One (Shania Twain)
> E: The Unforgiven (Metallica), Welcome Home (Metallica)
> F: Smells Like Teen Spirit (Nirvana)
> F#/Gb: Hotel California (Eagles, The)
> G: Mars: Bringer of War (Gustav Holst)
> G#/Ab: Somebody to Love (Queen)
> A: Stairway to Heaven (Led Zeppelin), Kashmir (Led Zeppelin)
> A#/Bb: Legend of Zelda NES (Koji Kondo)
> B: Batman Theme (Danny Elfman), Fade to Black (Metallica)


Hands down, the single most impressively eclectic listening list I've ever seen. Bravo, sir! I will have to try this test myself.


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## Ramako

Mahlerian said:


> G is one note I can sing without any prompt. It's the first note of Beethoven's Symphony No. 5!


That's brilliant!


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## bchalloner

Hey, here's someone else who had the same idea as me. I just scored 12/12 on this one but probably a few months ago I would have scored 0/12. I've always been great at remembering music on key, but I had no idea what the notes were called in musical terms having learned to read music late in adult life. So I did what you did - I took pieces of piano music (being a piano player) and other distinctive tunes to try to make that connection between pitch and pitch name.

Here's the list I use (by the way, the Well-Tempered Clavier or Bach's Inventions must be recommended for this):

A: Fugue in A Major, Shostakovich, 24 Preludes and Fugues in All Keys
Bb: Prelude in B-Flat, WTC Book 1, J.S. Bach
B: O Vos Omnes, Mass in B Minor (O Vos Omnes is a choral piece composed by a classmate of mine)
C: Prelude in C Major, WTC Book 1, by you know who
C#: Fugue in C# Minor, WTC Book 1, Fantasia Impromptu (goes 5 to 1, not the best, but works and is good for G# also)
D: Rachmaninoff's 3rd Piano Concerto 1st Movement Opening, Invention No. 4 in D Minor
Eb/D#: Prelude in Eb, WTC Book 1 (very good!)
E: Prelude in E Major, WTC Book 2 (just the most gorgeous piece, best of all WTC imo)
F#: First ending in O Vos Omnes (works extremely well, don't know why. Thanks Luis!)
G: Prelude in G Major, WTC Book 2
G#: Fantasia Impromptu, Chopin, Concerto for Solo Piano, Alkan

My list isn't as cool. Anyways, with practice, I've been able to more often 'go straight' to the pitch, i.e., I hear a pitch and just think - "D". It's a lot of fun! I recommend anyone try it out.


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## bchalloner

Oops, I missed F, that dreadful pitch (jk)

F: Invention No. 8 in F Major, Piano Concerto No. 19 in F Major by W.A. Mozart


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## WJM

Either I'm deaf or it doesn't work.


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## cbrian

Got all every single time I tried perfect pitch test.
I feel this is not challenging, is there like a test where they play chords?


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## millionrainbows

I can think of G by putting on a cowboy hat, and imagining an open G strummed on a guitar, and an ice-cold Coors Light. :lol:


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