Interval Ear Training Tool

Want to improve your musical ear? This interval ear trainer helps you recognize the distance between two notes.

Listen to each interval and identify it from the multiple-choice options to track your progress.

What Are Musical Intervals?

A musical interval is the distance between two notes. Intervals are the building blocks of melodies, chords, and harmony.

Learning to recognize intervals by ear is one of the most valuable skills a musician can develop. It helps you play songs by ear, improvise more confidently, transcribe music accurately, and understand music theory on a deeper level.

How to Use This Ear Trainer

Click the play button to hear two notes played in sequence. Listen carefully to the distance between them, then select which interval you heard from the four options.

The tool will tell you if you’re correct and show you the right answer. Your score tracks how many you’ve gotten right out of your total attempts.

Use the direction setting to practice ascending intervals (low to high), descending intervals (high to low), or a mix of both.

Common Intervals and Their Sounds

Each interval has a distinct sound that you can learn to recognize.

A minor 2nd sounds tense and dissonant (think “Jaws” theme). A major 3rd sounds bright and happy (first two notes of “When the Saints Go Marching In”). A perfect 5th sounds strong and stable (first two notes of “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”). An octave is two notes with the same letter name (“Somewhere Over the Rainbow“).

The more you practice, the more these intervals will become instantly recognizable.

Tips for Better Ear Training

Practice regularly in short sessions rather than long cramming sessions. Start with ascending intervals only, as they’re generally easier to hear than descending ones.

Sing the intervals back to reinforce what you’re hearing. Associate each interval with a familiar song to create mental anchors.

Don’t get discouraged by wrong answers – every mistake is a learning opportunity. Most musicians need consistent practice over weeks or months to master interval recognition.

More Tools

• Circle of Fifths Chart – Visual guide to understanding how musical keys relate to each other.
• BPM Tap Tool – Find the tempo of any song by tapping along.
• Capo Calculator – Find what chords you’re playing with a capo or where to place it for different keys.
• Online Metronome – Practice with adjustable tempo and time signatures.
• Transpose Calculator – Convert notes and chords between different keys.