Ear training

A trained ear lets you play what you hear: figure out songs, improvise with confidence and play better with other musicians. The good news: ear training is a skill, not a talent. Anyone can improve with a few minutes a day.

1. Match pitch

Play a note, then sing it. Then the reverse: sing a note and find it on the guitar. Connecting your voice and your fingers is the foundation of everything else.

Play A Play E Play C

2. Major or minor?

The first chord skill: recognize if a chord is major (bright) or minor (dark). Listen to each example and decide — answers below.

Example 1 Example 2 Example 3 Example 4

Answers: 1 major, 2 minor, 3 major, 4 minor.

3. Intervals

Learn intervals by linking each one to a song you know (see the table in the intervals lesson). Then quiz yourself with the ear trainer:

• Start with just the major 3rd, perfect 5th and octave.
• Add one new interval when you get 9 out of 10 right.

4. Find the root and the bass

When you hear a song, first find the lowest note of each chord (the bass). Hum it, then find it on your 6th or 5th string. Most of the time, the bass note is the chord's root.

5. Figure out songs by ear

1. Find the key. Hum the note that feels like "home" (usually the last note of the chorus). Find it on the guitar.
2. Find the chords. Try the chords of that key — I, IV, V and vi are the most common. Major or minor? Your ears decide.
3. Find the melody or riff. Note by note: is the next note higher or lower? By a little or a lot? Try, listen, correct.
4. Slow it down. Many players and apps can slow down audio without changing the pitch.

6. Recognize chord qualities

With practice, you'll recognize more colors: the tension of a dominant 7th, the dreaminess of maj7, the instability of diminished. Train them in the ear trainer on medium and hard levels.