Recognizing intervals by ear

Being able to hear intervals helps you find your first note, play in tune with your section, learn melodies by ear, and catch your own mistakes. Most people are not born with this skill: they practice it. This guide explains what intervals are, how to learn them with songs you already know, and how to move past the songs to hearing intervals directly.

What an interval is

An interval is the distance between two notes. Intervals have two parts to their name: a number and a quality.

• The number counts letter names. C up to E is a 3rd (C, D, E: three letters). C up to G is a 5th.
• The quality tells you the exact size: major, minor, perfect, augmented, or diminished.

To find the exact size, count half steps, the smallest distance between two notes (for example, from one piano key to the very next key, black or white). A minor 3rd is three half steps and a major 3rd is four.

Reference songs for each interval

The quickest way to start is to link each interval to the first two notes of a song you already know. When you hear an interval, sing it and see which song it matches.

If you don't know a song on this list, pick your own. The best reference song is one you can sing instantly without thinking. Write your list down and keep it in your folder.

Ascending vs descending

An interval sounds different going down than going up, so learn both directions. Some descending references:

• Major 2nd down: "Mary Had a Little Lamb"
• Minor 3rd down: "Hey Jude"
• Major 3rd down: "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot"
• Perfect 5th down: the "Flintstones" theme

In Ear Trainer you can set intervals to play Up, Down or Both. Get comfortable with Up first, then switch to Down, then mix them.

Harmonic intervals

So far we've talked about melodic intervals, where the notes are played one after the other. A harmonic interval is two notes played at the same time. This is what you hear when you and the player next to you hold different notes, so it matters a lot for tuning (see Playing in tune).

Harmonic intervals are harder to name because you can't sing both notes at once. Try this: listen to the pair, then sing the bottom note and the top note one after the other. Now it's a melodic interval, and your reference songs work again.

To practice, open Ear Trainer, choose Intervals, and set playback to Harmonic so both notes sound at once. Switch back to Melodic any time to check what you heard.

Listen for the quality of the sound

Harmonic intervals also have a character. Octaves and 5ths sound smooth and hollow. 3rds and 6ths sound full and sweet. 2nds, 7ths, and the tritone sound rough or "crunchy." Knowing that first narrows down your choices before you name the exact interval.

A daily ear-training routine

• Start with a few anchors. Learn three very different intervals first, like a major 3rd, a perfect 5th, and an octave. In Ear Trainer's settings, use "Practice these" to keep only those three until you get almost all of them right.
• Narrow it down. When Ear Trainer plays an interval, first decide whether it's small (a 2nd or 3rd), medium (a 4th, tritone, or 5th), or large (a 6th, 7th, or octave). Then name the exact one.
• Compare neighbors. Pay special attention to similar pairs, like major and minor 3rds or perfect 4ths and 5ths. Play both on your instrument to hear the difference.
• Sing before you answer. Singing is the fastest way to check what you heard.
• Keep it short. Five to ten minutes a day works better than a long session once a week.
• Move past the songs. Once you're confident, try to answer before you think of the song. Over time, you'll start to hear intervals directly.

When you're ready for chords, read Hearing the difference between major, minor, and diminished chords.