Who this is for
Anyone who knows what an interval is on paper and wants to hear them. You do not need perfect pitch: relative pitch is a learnable skill. Already name intervals by ear? Test out on Day 6.
Best done after: Intervals. It is advice, not a rule: every lesson has short "rusty on…?" boxes for anything you skipped.
Why learn this
Knowing that C to G is a perfect fifth is theory. Hearing a perfect fifth and **knowing** it is ear training. The second skill lets you work out a melody by ear, sing what you read, and tell what a chord is doing without an instrument.
Nobody is born with this. It is built by hearing intervals again and again with a good hook. This program gives you a hook for every interval (a famous song that starts with it), a few minutes of listening a day, and the ear drill.
What you will be able to do
- Steps, skips and leaps by sound
- The perfect fifth, fourth and octave
- Major and minor thirds
- Major and minor sixths
- Seconds, sevenths and the tritone
- Intervals going down
- Using songs as memory hooks
The 6-day plan
- Higher, lower, step or leap. Hear whether a second note is higher or lower, and tell a step from a leap.
- The perfect intervals: fifth, fourth and octave. Recognise the perfect 5th, perfect 4th and octave by ear.
- Thirds: major and minor. Tell a major third from a minor third by ear.
- Sixths, seconds and sevenths. Hear the sixths, seconds and sevenths and tell them from the thirds and fifths.
- Intervals going down. Recognise intervals when the second note is lower than the first.
- Putting it together. Name any interval by ear and hear scale degrees.
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
Ear Training 2: Hearing Chords: The 5-Day Program. See the whole training plan.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need perfect pitch?
No. Perfect (absolute) pitch is naming a note with no reference. Almost all musicians use relative pitch: hearing the distance between notes. Relative pitch can be trained by anyone.
How long does ear training take?
A few minutes every day for a few weeks makes a clear difference. Consistency beats long sessions. Most people can name the easy intervals reliably in two to three weeks.
Are song hooks cheating?
No, they are the standard training tool. Over time you stop thinking of the song and just recognise the sound. Pick the song you know best for each interval.
What is the hardest interval to hear?
The tritone, and the major and minor seventh (they sound similar). Start with the stable perfect intervals and leave those for later.