Pitch Detector: See What Note You Are Singing, Live

Frequently asked questions

How does the pitch detector work?

It reads the microphone signal in short windows and uses the YIN method to find how often the sound wave repeats. That repetition rate is the frequency in hertz, which is converted to the nearest note name and how many cents sharp or flat you are.

What does “cents” mean?

A cent is one hundredth of a semitone. Zero cents means perfectly in tune with the note shown, plus 50 is halfway to the next note up and minus 50 is halfway to the next note down. Small wobbles of a few cents are normal in singing.

What reference pitch does it use?

The detector uses equal temperament with A4 set to 440 Hz, the common concert pitch. Middle C is C4, about 261.6 Hz. If your instrument or choir tunes to a different A, the note names here will be slightly off from what you expect.

Why does the note jump between octaves?

Pitch detectors can occasionally lock onto a harmonic or a sub-octave, especially with a breathy or very quiet voice. Sing a bit louder, move closer to the microphone, hold the note steadily, and avoid background noise. The steady-note logic in the test filters most jumps.

Is anything recorded or uploaded?

No. The sound is analysed in your browser and discarded. Nothing is recorded, stored or sent anywhere, and the microphone is switched off when you press Stop or leave the page. See the privacy page for details.