Who this is for
Learners who know their chord types on paper and can hear intervals. Already follow chord changes by ear? Test out on Day 5.
Best done after: Triads & Inversions, Ear Training: Intervals. It is advice, not a rule: every lesson has short "rusty on…?" boxes for anything you skipped.
Why learn this
Hearing chords is how you learn songs without a chart, play along with a recording, and notice what an arrangement is doing. It also makes written chords come alive: a symbol like Dm7 means something you can hear.
The trick is to listen for **colour**, not notes. Major is bright, minor is dark, diminished is tense, augmented is dreamy, a dominant seventh wants to resolve. This program builds those colours one at a time and then follows chords through a progression.
What you will be able to do
- Major and minor chord colour
- Diminished and augmented triads
- Dominant, major and minor seventh chords
- Hearing I, IV and V
- Common progressions by ear
The 5-day plan
- Major and minor. Tell a major chord from a minor chord by ear.
- Diminished and augmented. Recognise diminished and augmented triads by their unstable colour.
- Seventh chords. Hear the difference between a dominant 7th, a major 7th and a minor 7th.
- I, IV and V by ear. Hear the three main chords of a key: home, away and tension.
- Whole progressions. Recognise common progressions by ear.
How each session works
Every day follows the shape of a workout. It starts with a warm-up that reviews earlier days, then technique: a short, plain explanation with a small interactive tool to try it on. Then come the working sets, drills with instant feedback, and a finisher, a short test with a pass mark so you only build on things you can do. A cool-down recaps the day and previews the next.
Choose your split
The daily split is a session a day: done in a week. The easy split is a session every other day, with rest days between: two weeks, and a gentler pace. On your own pace there is no schedule. Nothing is ever locked, and you can change split at any time.
What comes next
Seventh Chords: The 7-Day Program. See the whole training plan.
Frequently asked questions
Is it easier to hear chords or single notes?
Chords. A chord has a distinct colour that you can recognise as a whole, the way you recognise a face without naming every feature.
How can I tell major from minor quickly?
Listen for mood: major sounds bright, resolved and happy; minor sounds darker, sadder and more serious. With practice it takes a fraction of a second.
What is a dominant 7th chord?
A major chord with an added flat seventh (G7 is G B D F). It sounds tense and bluesy and strongly wants to resolve to a chord a fifth below (C).
How do I hear I, IV and V?
I is home and stable; V is tense and wants to go home; IV is a gentle step away from home. A progression like I–IV–V–I is the foundation of rock, blues and folk.