Do you want a musical challenge? I just had a friend email me a link to some online music tests. There are three tests available at http://tonometric.com/.

The first one you should take is the original tonedeaf test. It plays a little bit of a tune, then repeats it and asks if it’s exactly the same as the first time. I got 83.3% correct the first time, hitting the 79th percentile. I personally expected to do better and maybe if I take it again I’ll do better.

The second test is an adaptive pitch test. It tests your ability to differentiate between pitches. While I got down to very tiny differences, like 0.375 Hz, I missed a few of those and was told that at 500 Hz I can reliably differentiate between tones 1.65 Hz apart. That put me at the 59th percentile. I’m DEFINITELY trying THIS one again!

The last test is a rhythm test. It’s probably the hardest one. You’re comparing two musical phrases again, but this time you’re only comparing the rhythms of percussion. I thought I did pretty bad on this one but I got 76% correct! But then, that’s only the 58th percentile.

These are tough tests. If you think you’ve got a decent ear, give them a try. They’ll certainly challenge you to sharpen your hearing. I think taking them again will help a little, too, since you’ll know what to expect of each test. If you do take them, post your results in a comment here, if you don’t mind.