Tone Memory Game
A Simon-style memory challenge that swaps coloured buttons for musical tones. A pattern of pitched pads lights up and plays; you repeat it by clicking the pads in order. Each round the sequence grows by one note. Choose 4, 6, or 8 pads and a playback speed, and see how long a sequence you can hold in your head.
ℹ This is a fun exercise for your tonal working memory, not a clinical or scientific test. The pads use exact 12-TET pitches (A4 = 440 Hz), but your score depends on your focus, your speakers or headphones, and the room — treat your longest sequence as a personal high score, not a measurement of musical ability. Use a moderate volume. Everything runs in your browser; nothing is recorded or uploaded, and your high score is stored only on this device.
Changing the palette size or speed starts a fresh game. Keep the volume moderate — loud tones are not better for memory.
How It Works
The game keeps a hidden sequence of pad indexes. Each round it adds one new randomly chosen pad to the end of that sequence and plays the whole thing back, lighting and sounding each pad in turn. Your job is to click the pads in the same order. Get the full sequence right and the round advances and the sequence grows by one; click a wrong pad — or run out of time — and the game ends, recording how far you got.
Each pad is a fixed musical pitch. The 4- and 6-pad palettes use notes from a major pentatonic scale (a friendly, consonant set that is easy to sing back), and the 8-pad palette extends that across a wider span. Pitches are calculated in 12-tone equal temperament with the standard concert reference A4 = 440 Hz, using the formula f = 440 × 2^((m − 69) / 12) where m is the MIDI note number. That part is mathematically exact — what varies is whether you can hold the melody in your head.
Every note is synthesised live with the Web Audio API as an oscillator passed through a gain envelope, so each tone fades in over a few milliseconds and out again to avoid clicks. The notes are scheduled on the audio clock rather than wall-clock timers, which keeps the rhythm even. Slow, Normal, and Fast simply change how long each note sounds and the gap between notes — faster playback gives you less time to rehearse, so it is harder. A bigger palette means more distinct pitches to keep straight, which is also harder.
Your longest sequence this session is shown live, and your all-time best is saved in this browser so you can try to beat it next time. The result is also reported to the Audio Skills Progress Tracker (a local dashboard) as a score, so you can watch your memory games alongside your other ear-training practice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this measure how good my musical memory is?
No. It is a fun exercise for your tonal working memory, not a clinical or scientific test. Your longest sequence is a personal high score that depends on your focus, your audio gear, and the room as much as your innate ability. Use it to challenge yourself and track your own progress over time, not to compare yourself against anyone else.
What notes do the pads play?
Each pad is a fixed pitch from a major pentatonic scale, extended across a wider range for the 8-pad palette. Pitches are computed in 12-tone equal temperament with A4 = 440 Hz using f = 440 × 2^((m − 69) / 12), so the frequencies are mathematically exact. The pentatonic set is chosen because its notes are consonant and easy to sing back, which makes the sequences pleasant rather than jarring.
How do I make it harder or easier?
Two controls: palette size and speed. More pads (6 or 8) means more distinct pitches to keep straight; fewer (4) is gentler. Faster playback gives you less time to rehearse each note before repeating it, so it is harder. Start with 4 pads at Slow speed, then add pads and tempo as you improve. Changing either setting starts a fresh game.
Do I need headphones?
No — any speakers work, since the game does not test left versus right ears. Headphones can help you focus on the pitches and hear the lower notes clearly, but they are optional. Whatever you use, keep the volume moderate; louder tones do not help memory and can be fatiguing.
Is my score saved or sent anywhere?
Nothing is recorded or uploaded, and the microphone is never used. Your all-time best is stored only in this browser on this device, and the result is also added to the local Audio Skills Progress Tracker dashboard. You can wipe your high score any time with the Clear button, and clearing your browser data or using private mode will erase it too.