how to play earworm
Earworm is a free pitch memory game. A note plays, then you drag anywhere to tune your own note until it matches. Five notes a game, each scored from 0 to 100% by how many cents you were off, and a daily set that everyone gets.
- Turn your sound on. Headphones help.
- Listen to the note. Nothing on screen gives it away.
- Drag up or down anywhere on the game to tune. Your note plays while you drag, and a tuner on the right shows where you are.
- Lock it in. You see both notes on the tuner, the gap in cents, and you can hear them side by side.
- It gets harder: notes get shorter, round three throws a decoy note at you, and round four plays the target on a different instrument.
Keyboard: Arrow keys nudge the pitch (Shift for bigger steps), Space plays your note, Enter locks in and moves on, and Esc goes back to the menu.
tips
- Hum the note quietly while it plays. Your voice remembers pitch better than your ears do.
- When the decoy plays, keep humming the first note. Don't let the second one in.
- On the instrument round, match the note, not the sound. Listen for the bottom of the tone.
- Use the arrow keys for the last few cents: each press is 5 cents, Shift makes it 50.
faq
How is earworm scored?
By cents, the standard unit for pitch differences (100 cents is a semitone). 70 cents off scores 50%, about 25 cents off scores above 90%, and a full semitone scores under 40%.
Is there a daily earworm?
Yes. Everyone gets the same five notes each day, with one attempt, a streak and a spoiler-free share.
Do I need perfect pitch?
No. This is short-term pitch memory, which anyone can practice. Perfect pitch would mean naming notes without hearing a reference.
Why can't I hear anything?
Check that the sound toggle in the top bar is on and your device isn't muted. The game asks to turn sound on if it's off.