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- Interval ear training
Free interval trainer
Interval ear training on a real piano.
Hear two notes, name the distance. Start with four easy intervals, work up to all twelve, and train ascending, descending and harmonic intervals separately. Every answer comes with a song to remember it by.
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Interval trainer
What's the interval?
Listen to the two notes, then pick the interval. After you answer, tap any other interval to hear it from the same note.
Space replay 1–0 answer N next
Press Start training to hear your first interval.
Your accuracy by interval
Saved in this browser. Turn on "Focus on my weak intervals" to hear the red ones more often.
Reference songs
A song for every interval
The fastest way to learn an interval is to tie it to a melody you already know. Each song below starts with that interval. Pick the ones you can hear in your head instantly and swap the rest for your own.
| Interval | Ascending ↑ | Descending ↓ |
|---|---|---|
| Minor 2nd | Jaws theme | Für Elise (opening) |
| Major 2nd | Happy Birthday | Mary Had a Little Lamb |
| Minor 3rd | Greensleeves · Smoke on the Water (riff) | Hey Jude |
| Major 3rd | When the Saints Go Marching In | Beethoven's 5th Symphony · Swing Low, Sweet Chariot |
| Perfect 4th | Here Comes the Bride · Amazing Grace | Eine kleine Nachtmusik |
| Tritone | The Simpsons theme · Maria (West Side Story) | Black Sabbath (main riff) |
| Perfect 5th | Star Wars (main theme) · Twinkle Twinkle Little Star | The Flintstones theme |
| Minor 6th | The Entertainer | Find one you know |
| Major 6th | My Bonnie Lies over the Ocean · NBC chimes | Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen |
| Minor 7th | Star Trek (original theme) · Somewhere (West Side Story) | Find one you know |
| Major 7th | Take On Me (chorus) | Find one you know |
| Octave | Somewhere over the Rainbow | Find one you know |
Theory
All 12 intervals at a glance
An interval is measured in semitones, the smallest step on a piano. Each one has its own colour, and learning to hear that colour is what eventually replaces the songs.
| Semitones | Interval | Short | From C | How it sounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minor 2nd | m2 | C–D♭ | Crunchy and tense. The "danger" interval. |
| 2 | Major 2nd | M2 | C–D | A step of a scale. A mild, open rub when played together. |
| 3 | Minor 3rd | m3 | C–E♭ | Dark and soft. The sound of minor chords. |
| 4 | Major 3rd | M3 | C–E | Bright and happy. The sound of major chords. |
| 5 | Perfect 4th | P4 | C–F | Open and a little unresolved, like a question. |
| 6 | Tritone | TT | C–F♯ | Unstable and eerie. Splits the octave exactly in half. |
| 7 | Perfect 5th | P5 | C–G | Hollow and strong. The power chord. |
| 8 | Minor 6th | m6 | C–A♭ | Bittersweet and dramatic. |
| 9 | Major 6th | M6 | C–A | Warm, sweet and open. |
| 10 | Minor 7th | m7 | C–B♭ | Bluesy. Wants to resolve. The top of a dominant 7th chord. |
| 11 | Major 7th | M7 | C–B | Dreamy but spiky, one step short of the octave. |
| 12 | Octave | P8 | C–C | The same note, doubled. Almost merges into one sound. |
Method
How to learn intervals by ear
- Start with four, far apart. The Beginner preset uses the major 3rd, perfect 4th, perfect 5th and octave. They sound distinct, so you build confidence before the fine distinctions.
- Anchor each one to a song. When you hear an interval, replay its song in your head and check whether it fits.
- Sing it. Hum the first note, then the second. Singing connects what you hear to something you can produce, and that sticks.
- Learn the colour, not just the song. Over time you'll recognise a major 3rd as "bright" before the song even starts. That's the goal: it's faster and works in real music.
- Train directions separately. Ascending, descending and harmonic intervals are three different skills. Master each on its own before switching to Mixed.
- Compare every mistake. After a wrong answer, play your guess and the real answer back to back. Hearing the contrast is how the brain learns the boundary.
Why intervals matter
Intervals are the building blocks of everything you hear in music. Melodies are chains of intervals, and chords are intervals stacked on top of each other. A major chord is a major 3rd with a minor 3rd on top.
Once you can hear them, you can play by ear, transcribe melodies, sing in tune, improvise with intention and hear whether a chord is major, minor or something more colourful. For producers and engineers it means faster tuning checks, better vocal comping and cleaner arrangements.
Relative pitch, not perfect pitch
You don't need perfect pitch to do any of this. Perfect pitch is naming a note in isolation, and it's rare. Relative pitch is hearing how notes relate to each other, and anyone can build it with regular practice. Ten minutes a day is enough to notice real progress within weeks.
Go from intervals to chords and scales.
StudioEars builds on what you practise here: hear scales and chords by ear, learn the theory in 10 short lessons, and keep it all fresh with a two-unit daily session.
Download on theApp Store- Hear the IntervalIdentify intervals by ear, no instrument needed
- Hear the Scale & Hear the ChordMajor, minor, pentatonic, triads and 7ths
- 10 theory lessonsFrom intervals to chords in a key
- Piano & guitar unitsBuild scales and chords on keys and fretboard
More free tools
Keep training
FAQ
Interval training, answered
What is interval ear training?
An interval is the distance between two notes. Interval ear training is practice at naming that distance just by listening, for example hearing that two notes are a perfect fifth apart. It is the foundation of relative pitch, which helps you play by ear, transcribe melodies, sing in tune and recognise chords.
Which intervals should I learn first?
Start with a few intervals that sound very different from each other, such as the major third, perfect fourth, perfect fifth and octave. That's the Beginner preset. Once those are reliable, add the remaining intervals of the major scale, then the rest of the chromatic set.
Do I need perfect pitch to recognise intervals?
No. Recognising intervals is relative pitch: hearing how two notes relate to each other, not naming a note in isolation. Relative pitch can be learned by anyone with regular practice, and it's what most professional musicians rely on.
How long does it take to learn intervals by ear?
With ten minutes a day, most people can recognise a handful of ascending intervals within a couple of weeks. Getting all twelve reliable in every direction usually takes a few months. Short daily sessions work much better than occasional long ones.
What is the difference between melodic and harmonic intervals?
Melodic intervals are played one note after the other, either ascending or descending. Harmonic intervals are played at the same time. Melodic intervals help with melodies and transcription, while harmonic intervals train you to hear the colour of chords.
Why are descending intervals harder?
Most people practise ascending intervals first, so descending ones get less exposure, and a song you know going up doesn't automatically help going down. Treat descending intervals as a separate skill with their own reference songs, and practise them on their own before mixing directions.