Ear training is vital for any musician, but it can be intimidating to begin learning.
We often tell ourselves that having a perfect ear is reserved only for people who have played instruments since childhood, but that’s simply not true. Anyone can train their ear, and every musician should do so!
Here are 6 ear training tips to consider as you begin your journey.
1. Let Go of Your Limiting Beliefs
There’s truly no time like the present. Instead of getting discouraged about starting ear training “too late,” celebrate that you’re taking the first steps to learn.
Training your ear from an early age can be helpful, just like it’s easy for children to pick up new languages quickly. But you’re never “too old” to start. Plenty of musicians have trained their ears and learned other music fundamentals later in life.
The motivation to start and maintain your ear training is most important. Plus, the fact that you’re reading this indicates that you’re ready to get started. Embrace that feeling and run with it!
Tip: If you’re looking to complement your ear training with a broader understanding of music theory, exploring online resources can be incredibly beneficial. This guide on how to learn music theory online offers a comprehensive starting point
2. Find a Training Tool That Works for You
There are many kinds of ear-training tools, each suitable for unique learning styles and musical backgrounds. When choosing an ear training tool, focus on what will work best for you.
You should identify your goals and know how you learn best to narrow your options and pick something most suited to your needs. You’ll also want to consider how relevant each tool’s lessons are to your overall goals as a musician.
For example, many ear training courses attempt to cover topics that most modern musicians aren’t interested in. While relevant to classical musicians, knowing the difference between diminished 7th and minor 6th intervals or whether an augmented 6th chord is “Italian” or “German” probably doesn’t apply to most songwriters or producers.
Our ear training tool, Chord Crush, focuses specifically on chord progressions, so you can focus on hearing a song and knowing how it goes on a guitar or piano. For most modern artists, this is the most relevant skill that comes with ear training.
For more detailed information on how Chord Crush can enhance your ear training and aid in your journey as a producer and songwriter, check out our comprehensive article dedicated to its features and benefits.
3. Train Consistently
Training your ear is like forming any other habit. It takes a while to get used to, but eventually, you’ll find your groove. Getting out of the practice means you’ll inevitably lose some of the momenta you’ve generated.
To maintain your ear training skills, train your ear consistently. A daily schedule with bite-sized training modules is a great way to start. It will allow you to stick to a disciplined routine sustainably so you’ll continue progressing in your journey.
Training regularly improves your ability to hear a song and know how it goes. Those small steps add up!
4. Put Yourself to the Test When Listening to Real Music
If you’re using a traditional ear training tool, it’s important to regularly put your skills into practice in the context of modern music.
This is one reason Chord Crush is so helpful — you’re presented with chord progressions pulled from real songs in our TheoryTab database, with some of the chords missing. The exercises are curated to be relevant and applicable to your own career.
If you’re looking to train your ear with modern music, try these activities:
- Listen to songs in different genres. Practice identifying the chord progressions. You can always search for songs in the TheoryTab database to check your understanding of chord progressions.
- Try the free, basic version of Chord Crush. Every day, you can complete 5 puzzles and 1 Rush game.
5. Be Patient
The ear training process can be challenging, no matter how experienced you are. Building your skills simply takes time, so it’s important to be patient during the process.
When training feels tough, focus on what you can achieve in a single training session. Take time to reflect on how far you’ve come, and look forward to future training sessions as additional learning opportunities.
Like many other areas of developing your artistic skills, it’s easy to fall into the traps of comparison and longing for things on the horizon. Give yourself grace as you take the necessary steps to train your ear. You’ll be glad you stuck with it and gave yourself the time and space to learn something new.
6. Set Attainable Goals
Setting and hitting specific goals allows you to measure your progress and stay motivated while ear training.
Break down your goal into small chunks and ensure those steps are measurable and achievable.
Chord Crush makes goal-setting easy with built-in tools that track your progress. We offer a numbered rating system that measures your ear training progress and provides you with puzzles at your appropriate level. The ELO rating (similar to what’s used in chess) increases and decreases based on your ability to solve the puzzles presented to you.
This provides an opportunity to set manageable goals. Can you increase your standing by 100 within the next week? How about 400 by the end of the month?
You can also set goals and track your progress in “Level Up!” mode. Each level focuses on a specific concept and progresses in difficulty as you learn, providing an excellent way to make intentional steps in your ear training journey.
Start Ear Training Today
Ear training is incredibly valuable for any musician. We hope these tips give you the boost you need to successfully (and sustainably) begin the process.
Remember: just because it’s ear training doesn’t mean the practice has to be daunting. It can actually be a lot of fun!
