Is it better to master certain interval types before moving on to others?
This really depends on how you personally progress as you learn intervals. Learning to recognise intervals is quite a specific skill, but it gradually builds your overall relative pitch ability. This means that there aren’t hard “dependencies” about...How do I know what chord comes next?
Chord progressions are the basis of harmony in songs and there are many common or standard progressions that are useful to know. (a “chord progression” is simply a sequence of chords: one chord after another.) Chord progressions are often thought about in...How can I get perfect pitch?
If you want to learn perfect pitch, a good practical way to start developing your sense of absolute pitch is to choose a single note to use as a reference pitch. Pick a pitch you can easily refer to – like a Middle C if you’re often near a piano, or the...Why do all pop songs sound the same?
The most powerful concept in learning to play songs by ear is the “1 4 5 progression”, or the “3 chord song”. This can also include “1 4 5 6” (or “I IV V vi”) progressions and 4-chord songs. In short: So many songs sound...Where can I find rhythmic notation audio examples?
Connecting the traditional notation for musical rhythms with their sounds is a key part of rhythm ear training. If you want rhythmic notation audio examples, you can try the Rhythm Puzzles game from Theta Music Trainer, or learn how to use music production software...What are some good online games for learning solfège?
There seems to be a real lack of online solfege games – which is a pity given how powerful solfege can be for developing relative pitch! There are lots of ear training games, and there are some good solfege resources, but we haven’t come across any good...
Why you should learn the I-IV-V chord progression
Discover the formula used by many pop, alternative, indie, country, hymns, gospel, blues, rock, reggae, and more, which lets you play those songs by ear.
Playing by Ear, with Brad Mavin: 1-4-5 Chord Progressions
Want to play songs by ear? This video series shows you how, step-by-step. In the last episode Brad Mavin explained the Cycle of Keys (a.k.a. Circle of Fifths, Cycle of Fifths) and now he’ll extend that concept to “1-4-5” chord progressions, the...
Learn to Harmonize By Ear (DaveConservatoire.org)
Harmonization is the process of putting chords to a tune. Learn how to harmonize songs by ear yourself with this easy video tutorial and interactive app.
What's the difference between relative pitch and perfect pitch?
Relative Pitch is the ability to identify the pitch of notes relative to other notes you’ve heard. For example, you might have a sense of a song’s tonic (resting) note and then be able to recognise the pitches in the melody using solfège. Or you might use...
Improved Practice: Slow Down to Speed Up (Phil Amalong)
As musicians, we know that slow practice is good. Or at least we’ve been told that. But I suggest the following: don’t spend another minute practicing slowly!
