Regular ear training exercises will help you improve your musicianship skills and bring you one step closer to the improviser’s holy grailāplaying exactly what you hear in your head on the spot.
With consistent effort, you can use your ear to identify chords and chord progressions, recognize intervals, and understand melodiesāall without picking up your instrument.
This article will discuss functional ear training and why it is essential for developing strong relative pitch. We will also go over the best practices for developing your ear.
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Table of Contents
Why Ear Training?
Ear training should be your number one focus if you want to become a better musician!
Though scales and music theory are great tools for logically understanding music, our ears decipher live music in the moment and inform our ability to create it.
While learning jazz language by ear will certainly help your ears get stronger, you should regularly practice the fundamentals of ear training, which include identifying chords, interval recognition, and other aural skills.
After regular practice, you should be able to:
- Identify intervals
- Identify major scale degrees, minor scale degrees, and other scales by ear
- Identify chords, including triads, seventh chords, and other types of chords in all inversions
- Identify short chord progressions
- Identify long chord progressions
- Transcribe simple melodies by ear
- Transcribe rhythms by ear
- Sight singing melodies by reading notation
Let’s start at the beginning and work through the fundamentals of ear training!
The Fundamentals of Ear Training
Some musicians are impatient and want to skip the fundamentals. Still, the logic of fundamentals is that they are fundamentally important for you to understand before moving on to the next step. Before hearing lines and chords, you’ll need to be able to year basic intervals.
Ideally, an ear training curriculum would start with musical intervals and move through hearing scales, chords, and chord progressions.
If you are already comfortable with ear training fundamentals, please use the table of contents menu above to skip directly to more advanced ear training exercises!
However, we could all benefit from a refresher every once in a while!
Step 1. Hearing Musical Intervals
What is a musical interval? A musical interval is the distance between two notes. A single note in isolation tells you very little about the tonal center, chord, or scale it comes from. Music is all about the relationships between notes.
In Western music, twelve notes repeat up and down in pitch. These groups of twelve tones are called octaves.
We’ll start with the intervals that make up an octave.
Each of the twelve notes is a unique distance from the root (C), and these unique distances have names that help us identify them.
Unison: C to C
Minor Second Interval: (C to Db)
Major Second Interval: (C to D)
Minor Third Interval: (C to Eb)
Major Third Interval: (C to E)
Perfect Fourth Interval: (C to F)
Tritone Interval: (C to Gb)
Perfect Fifth Interval: (C to G)
Minor Sixth Interval: (C to Ab)
Major Sixth Interval: (C to A)
Minor Seventh Interval: (C to Bb)
Major Seventh Interval: (C to B)
Octave: (C to C)
Every scale in Western music uses some combination of these twelve notes. Think of these twelve notes like a whole block of marble. A particular scale (or chord) is the statue within it.
As an exercise, you’ll want to practice identifying these different intervals by ear. Interval recognition is the first step toward identifying scales, chords, chord progressions, and melodies.
Intervals Ear Training Quiz:
Step 2. Using Musical Intervals to Recognize Scales
Next, you need to translate hearing notes into recognizing scales. You can build any scale in Western music using the twelve intervals mentioned above. For the following examples, our starting note will be C.
Let’s start with the major scale:
- Rt. (C)
- M2 (D)
- M3 (E)
- P4 (F)
- P5 (G)
- M6 (A)
- M7 (B)
Change the major third to a minor third, and you’ll get a melodic minor scale:
- Rt. (C)
- M2 (D)
- m3 (Eb)
- P4 (F)
- P5 (G)
- M6 (A)
- M7 (B)
Change the major sixth scale degree to a minor sixth, and you get the harmonic minor scale:
- Rt. (C)
- M2 (D)
- m3 (Eb)
- P4 (F)
- P5 (G)
- m6 (Ab)
- M7 (B)
Change the B natural (the major seventh scale degree) to a Bb, and you get the natural minor scale:
- Rt. (C)
- M2 (D)
- m3 (Eb)
- P4 (F)
- P5 (G)
- m6 (Ab)
- m7 (Bb)
Change the major second to a minor second, and you get the Phygyian mode of the major scale:
- Rt. (C)
- m2 (Db)
- m3 (Eb)
- P4 (F)
- P5 (G)
- m6 (Ab)
- m7 (Bb
Recognizing scales by ear helps you determine tonal centers and is a prerequisite for transcribing melodies and solos. Now, you are ready to tackle the next ear training fundamentalāhearing chords!
For more on how to practice hearing intervals, check out this video:
Step 3. How to Hear Triads (Major, Minor, Diminished, and Augmented) and Seventh Chords
You can comfortably identify the distances between two notes. Now, let’s add another note and tackle triads!
A triad is a three-note chord. These three notes are a root, a third (major or minor), and a fifth (diminished, perfect, or augmented).
Combinations of these different intervals give us every type of triad:
- major triad (rt., M3, P5)
- minor triad (rt., m3, P5)
- diminished triad (rt., m3, b5)
- augmented triad (rt., M3, #5)
Major Triads:
The formula for a major triad is a root, a major third, and a perfect fifth.
- First, play the major third interval between G and B
- Then, play the perfect fifth interval between G and D
- Then, play the minor third interval between B and D
- Do each again, but try filling in the missing note of the triad using your voice (more on singing exercises later).
For more on major triads, check out our article on mastering major triads. It has a guitar focus, but the information regarding major triads is universal!
Minor Triads:
The formula for a minor triad is a root, a minor third, and a perfect fifth.
Repeat the same process for the minor triad:
- First, play the minor third interval between G and Bb
- Then, play the perfect fifth interval between G and D
- Then, play the major third interval between Bb and D
- Do each again, but try filling in the missing note of the triad using your voice.
For more on minor triads, check out our article on minor triads. Like the other article, it is guitar-oriented, but the music theory sections apply to all instruments.
Diminished Triads:
The formula for a diminished triad is a root, a minor third, and a tritone (or diminished fifth).
Try this process with the diminished triad:
- First, play the minor third interval between G and Bb
- Then, play the diminished fifth (tritone) interval between G and Db
- Then, play the minor third interval between Bb and Db
- Do each again, but try filling in the missing note of the triad using your voice.
Check out our article on diminished triads for more information.
Augmented Triads:
The formula for an augmented triad is a root, a major third, and an augmented fifth (equivalent to a minor 6th interval).
Try this process with the augmented triad:
- First, play the major third interval between G and B
- Then, play the augmented fifth (minor 6th) interval between G and D#
- Then, play the major third interval between B and D#
- Do each again, but try filling in the missing note of the triad using your voice.
Check out our article on augmented triads for more information.
You’ll want to practice these different triad types from all twelve root notes, not only from the root of G. There are also triad inversions to consider as well!
BEFORE YOU CONTINUE...
If you struggle to play amazing jazz solos and want to learn the secret strategies the pros are using to improvise, our free guide will get you on the right track.
Going From Triads to Seventh Chords
Seventh chords are four-note chords that consist of a root, a third of some type (major or minor), a fifth of some type (diminished, perfect, or augmented), and either a major or minor seventh (and occasionally a diminished seventh).
Adding another note possibility to the mix means there are many combinations.
There were only four triad types, but there are many seventh-chord possibilities.
Major Seventh Chords:
The music theory formula for a major 7th chord is a root, a major third interval, a perfect fifth interval, and a major seventh interval.
- Play each interval on the piano or guitar.
- Remove one note from the major 7th chord and sing it. Do this with each note in the chord.
Dominant Seventh Chords
This music theory formula is similar to the major seventh chord because it starts with a major triad. It has a root note, a major third, and a perfect fifth. However, the fourth note is different. Instead of a major seventh interval, it has a minor seventh interval.
Minor Seventh Chords:
The formula for a minor seventh chord is a root, a minor third interval, a perfect fifth interval, and a minor seventh interval. In other words, it’s a minor triad with a minor seventh interval added to the top.
Half-Diminished and Fully Diminished Chords
Half-diminished seventh chords have a root note, a minor third, a diminished fifth, and a minor seventh interval. They are diminished triads with a minor seventh interval added to the top.
Fully diminished seventh chords are similar to half-diminished seventh chords in that they contain a diminished triad. The difference lies in the seventh scale degree.
In fully diminished chords, the minor seventh is further diminished. This is called a diminished seventh, and it is equivalent to a major sixth interval.
Keep In Mind All The Possible Alterations
Though we listed four seventh chord types, this doesn’t begin to scratch the surface of all the possible variations you should explore through ear training. There are chord extensions and alterations to consider!
To learn more about all the different seventh-chord variations, check out our ultimate guide to 7th chords.
Step 4. Chord Progression Ear Training
Now it’s time for the next step towards improving your musical abilityāwe’re ready to tackle the humble chord progression! If you can memorize the relationships between individual notes, then the next logical step is learning the relationships between different groups of notes (chords).
Most songs in Western music are composed of familiar chord sequences. By familiarizing yourself with common chord progressions, you’ll soon be able to recognize them in different keys and intuitively understand the harmonic relationships within a tune (even if you don’t know which key it is in).
Chord progression ear training is extremely useful because you won’t always have a chart on a gig. Sometimes, the count-off begins, and the band starts the tune in a different key than you expected.
You’ll need to rely on your ear to know what’s happening in many scenarios.
Diatonic Chords in Major and Minor Keys
Diatonic chords are built from the major scale degrees (and the natural minor scale degrees). Before hearing chord progressions in isolation, a great exercise would be to practice hearing chord scales to relate the chord quality to its associated scale degree.
Just as the C major scale and A minor scale are relative, the keys C major and A minor are also relative, meaning they share the same chords (except for the v chord in minor keys sometimes):
Chords in the Key of C major:
Chords in the Key of A minor:
Basic Jazz Chord Progressions:
There are thousands and thousands of jazz tunes out there. However, there are only so many chord progressions. Many jazz songs can be broken down into smaller chord progression chunks.
We’ll review two basic ones you can start practicing immediately.
- Major and minor ii-V-Is
- Major and minor I-vi-ii-Vs
If you learn how to recognize these two chord progressions and their minor variations in your ear training practice, you’ll be well on your way to being able to hear your way through many jazz standards.
Major ii-V-I
This short chord progression is perhaps the most essential. The ii-V-I is like a brick with which nearly every jazz tune is built. It is so ubiquitous that entire tunes are written using this chord progression.
- ii – D-7
- V – G7
- I – Cmaj7
If you didn’t know, the Roman numerals reference the diatonic chords built from the scale degrees of the tonal center. The ii-V-I above is in the key of C, so C = I (it’s the first major scale degree, after all). The second scale degree is D in the C major scale, so D = ii. The fifth scale degree is G, so G = V.
For more on this jazz chord progression, check out our article on 2-5-1 chord progressions.
Minor ii-V-i
The next short chord progression is a minor variation of the ii-V-I. The key differences are:
- the ii chord is usually half-diminished
- the V chord usually has alterations (b9, #9, #11, b13)
- the i chord is minor
These chords are usually pulled from a minor key. However, in diatonic minor keys, the v chord is a minor chord. Jazz musicians usually borrow the major V chord because it contains a leading tone that moves nicely into the i chord.
- iiĆø – D-7b5
- V – G7
- i – C-7
Major I-vi-ii-V
Another chord progression you’ll want to be able to recognize by ear is the I-vi-ii-V.
- I – C maj7
- vi – A-7
- ii – D-7
- V – G7
Minor i-viĆø-iiĆø-V
It’s also important to be able to recognize the minor variant.
- i – C-7
- viĆø – A-7b5
- iiĆø – D-7b5
- V – G7
Next up, check out these 9 jazz chord progressions to get deeper into jazz chords and progressions.
Step 5. Short Melody Transcription
You also want to work on transcribing single-note lines to develop a more intuitive understanding of melody and its relationship to harmony. Additionally, transcribing a short melody forces you to focus on another crucial aspect of functional ear training practice that many musicians ignoreārhythm transcription.
Developing musicians often put rhythm on the back burner, preferring to spend time and energy on theory and harmony. While those things are certainly important, rhythm is, at the very least, just as (if not more) important than those other aspects of musicianship.
Trust meāyou don’t want to ignore this!
You’ll want to start with very simple melodies (like those in pop songs or folk songs) focusing on two main aspects:
- Melodic pitch
- Melodic rhythm
Melodic Pitch
Figure out what intervals are present in the melody.
You should try this without your instrument. It’s even possible to do this without knowing the key because all you need is the intervallic relationship between the melody and the tonal center.
If the melody starts on a 5th and moves to a 3rd, you don’t necessarily need to know that the two notes were a D and a B (key of G) to understand what is happening structurally with the melody and harmony.
Melodic Rhythm
If you haven’t spent much time transcribing rhythm, this exercise might be more difficult for you (and that’s okay!). Completely disregard pitches when focusing on rhythm. Your first job is to figure out the meter so you know how to count what you hear.
Once you’ve established the meter, listen and count! You can write out what you think is going on using scrap staff paper or even notebook paper. Check your work and repeat the process if necessary!
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