Interval Trainer
Two notes play. You pick the interval. Simple concept, but it fundamentally changes how you hear music over time. Adjustable difficulty and direction (ascending, descending, random).
Choose the Interval
Frequently Asked Questions
What is interval ear training?
Learning to hear the distance between two notes without looking at anything. Once you can do this, transcribing gets faster, improvisation gets more confident, and your intonation when singing or bending strings improves noticeably. It is one of those skills that quietly affects everything else you do musically.
What are the 13 musical intervals within one octave?
From smallest to largest: Unison (0 semitones), Minor 2nd (1), Major 2nd (2), Minor 3rd (3), Major 3rd (4), Perfect 4th (5), Tritone (6), Perfect 5th (7), Minor 6th (8), Major 6th (9), Minor 7th (10), Major 7th (11), Octave (12). You do not need to memorize this list all at once. Start with the easy ones on Easy mode and the rest fill in as you progress.
How should I practice interval recognition?
Do not jump to Hard mode right away. Easy mode gives you four intervals: Unison, Major 3rd, Perfect 5th, Octave. Get above 80% accuracy before moving on. Medium introduces trickier ones like Minor 3rd and Minor 7th. After those are solid, try all 13. And do ascending first. Descending intervals sound completely different and they will trip you up if you have not locked in the ascending versions.
How long does it take to develop good interval recognition?
Two to four weeks of 10-15 minutes a day and most people see real improvement. Not a huge time commitment. One technique that works well: associate each interval with a song you already know. Perfect 4th sounds like the opening of a certain wedding march. Perfect 5th sounds like a well-known nursery melody. Those associations tend to stick.
What is the difference between ascending and descending intervals?
Ascending means the low note plays first, then the higher one. Descending is the reverse. Same interval name in both cases, but they sound quite different in practice. Descending intervals trip people up more often, which is why practicing them matters. Being solid in both directions is a good indicator of strong ear training.