Methodology: how sounds, answers and scores work
How the site generates sound, checks every musical fact, scores its tests, and where browser audio has limits.
All sound on Tonecamp is synthesised in the browser (Web Audio) in equal temperament with A4 = 440 Hz. Every musical fact (interval sizes, chord tones, scales, key signatures, staff positions) comes from one tested music-theory module that also drives the sound, so the text and what you hear cannot disagree. Microphone tools estimate pitch on your device with the YIN algorithm.
The reference notes
Sound
- Tuning: twelve-tone equal temperament, A4 = 440 Hz (ISO 16). Each semitone multiplies the frequency by 21/12.
- Voice: a piano-like tone built from five harmonics with a fast attack and a natural decay, generated live (no recordings), so every note is exactly in tune on every device.
- Limits: small phone speakers barely reproduce the lowest notes (below about 100 Hz you mostly hear the harmonics). Use headphones for low bass notes.
How musical facts are checked
Note names are spelled by letter, not just by semitone: a third always spans three letter names, so E major is written E G♯ B, never E A♭ B. Automated tests check, among others:
| What | Example of a check |
|---|---|
| Intervals | Each of the 12 interval pages states the right number of semitones; quiz questions play the interval they ask about |
| Chords | C7 = C E G B♭, Bø7 = B D F A; only 3 different diminished seventh chords exist |
| Scales | Every major scale uses 7 different letters; D Dorian has the notes of C major |
| Key signatures | Each signature equals the accidentals of its major scale; the relative minor shares them |
| Note reading | Treble lines are E4 G4 B4 D5 F5, bass lines G2 B2 D3 F3 A3, middle C sits on one ledger line |
| Songs | Titles only, never lyrics; a song is listed only when its opening interval or chords are certain |
How the tests are scored
- Vocal range: a note counts only when held steadily (about 0.4 s); your range runs from the lowest to the highest held note.
- Pitch matching: the median pitch of a 1-second steady hold, compared with the target in cents (100 cents = 1 semitone), octave errors folded.
- Perfect pitch test: notes are named with no reference; the score is compared with what pure guessing would give.
- Tone deaf test: an adaptive same/different pitch task (2-down/1-up staircase) and melodies with an out-of-key note, in the style of research batteries; a musical skill check, not a diagnosis.
Microphone and pitch detection
Pitch is estimated with YIN (de Cheveigné & Kawahara, 2002) on short windows of the microphone signal, in your browser. Echo cancellation and noise suppression are turned off because they distort pitch. Background noise, a very breathy voice or a cheap microphone can cause wrong readings; the tools ignore unsteady notes for that reason.
Research claims
Claims about perfect pitch, relative pitch and learning cite peer-reviewed studies, with their sample sizes, on the page and on the sources page. Where research is limited or disputed, we say so.
Frequently asked questions
What tuning does the site use?
Twelve-tone equal temperament with A4 = 440 Hz, the international standard pitch. Middle C (C4) is 261.63 Hz.
How do you make sure answers are correct?
Notes, intervals, chords, scales and key signatures are generated by one music-theory module, and automated tests check them against known values (for example: a perfect fifth is 7 semitones, E major has 4 sharps, the treble clef's bottom line is E4) before every update.
Is this a hearing test?
No. The tests measure musical skills such as telling pitches apart or matching a note. They cannot detect hearing loss; for hearing concerns, see a qualified professional.
Does the microphone record me?
No. Sound from the microphone is analysed in your browser to estimate its pitch, then discarded. Nothing is recorded, stored or uploaded.