Hear two notes and name the interval, or hear four chords and name the progression. Simple daily drills with a graph that shows your ear getting better.
Playing as a guest: these numbers reset when you leave. Create a free account to track your progress.
Your accuracy graph appears here once you have a free account. Every answer counts toward a daily score, saved to your account so you can watch your ear improve week by week, on any device you log in from.
Create a free account Already have one? Log inAn interval is the distance between two notes, and recognizing intervals by sound is the single most useful ear skill a guitarist can build. It's how players figure out melodies and riffs without tab, sing harmonies, and improvise lines they hear in their head. Every question plays two ascending notes starting on C. Begin with one octave of the C major scale, then switch to chromatic (every half step) or stretch the range to two octaves when your ear is ready.
Name the Interval asks for the music-theory name (Major 3rd, Perfect 5th, and so on). Name the Note skips the vocabulary: the first note is always C, and you just pick which note came second. Both train exactly the same listening skill, so start wherever you're comfortable. Name the Progression moves from single notes to chords: you hear four triads that start and end on the home chord (the I), in C major or A minor, and pick which common progression it was, answering with roman numerals or plain chord names. That is the skill behind hearing the changes in a song and playing along by ear.
Each interval hides at the start of a song you already know:
| Interval | Notes | Hear it in |
|---|---|---|
| Minor 2nd | C → Db | The Jaws theme (the creeping half step) |
| Major 2nd | C → D | "Happy Birthday" (first two notes) |
| Minor 3rd | C → Eb | "Greensleeves" |
| Major 3rd | C → E | "When the Saints Go Marching In" |
| Perfect 4th | C → F | "Amazing Grace" / "Here Comes the Bride" |
| Tritone | C → F# | The Simpsons theme (restless, unresolved) |
| Perfect 5th | C → G | "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" |
| Minor 6th | C → Ab | A darker half step below the Major 6th |
| Major 6th | C → A | "My Bonnie Lies over the Ocean" |
| Minor 7th | C → Bb | "Somewhere" (West Side Story) |
| Major 7th | C → B | One step below the octave: tense, wants to resolve up |
| Octave | C → C | "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" |
In two-octave drills, add an octave to any of these: a Major 9th is a Major 2nd plus an octave, a Perfect 12th is a Perfect 5th plus an octave, and so on.
Every progression in the drill starts and ends on the home chord. Roman numerals name each chord by its scale degree (upper case major, lower case minor), so the same progression works in any key.
| Progression | In C major | Listen for |
|---|---|---|
| I - IV - V - I | C - F - G - C | The three primary chords: blues, folk, country, early rock |
| I - V - IV - I | C - G - F - C | V first, then a softer return through IV |
| I - vi - IV - I | C - Am - F - C | Home slips to its relative minor: the doo-wop and ballad move |
| I - ii - V - I | C - Dm - G - C | The jazz turnaround: ii sets up V, V resolves home |
| I - vi - V - I | C - Am - G - C | Relative minor straight to V |
| I - IV - vi - I | C - F - Am - C | Lift to IV, darken to vi, then home |
| I - iii - IV - I | C - Em - F - C | iii shares two notes with I, so the first change feels small |
| I - V - vi - I | C - G - Am - C | V leans on vi instead of resolving (the deceptive move) |
| Progression | In A minor | Listen for |
|---|---|---|
| i - iv - V - i | Am - Dm - E - Am | The minor workhorse: the major V pulls hard back home |
| i - VI - VII - i | Am - F - G - Am | Two major chords climbing to home: classic rock and folk minor |
| i - VII - VI - i | Am - G - F - Am | The same two chords falling instead of climbing |
| i - iv - VII - i | Am - Dm - G - Am | iv, then VII resolving down a whole step |
| i - III - VII - i | Am - C - G - Am | Out to the relative major and back |
| i - VI - iv - i | Am - F - Dm - Am | Major VI, then the minor iv |
| i - VI - V - i | Am - F - E - Am | The flamenco-flavored VI to V, half step into home |
| i - III - iv - i | Am - C - Dm - Am | Relative major, then the minor iv |
Descending intervals, longer progressions, and short melody playback are on the roadmap. Have a request? Tell us what to build next.
