Chord ear training

What is chord ear training?

A chord's quality is its colour. Major chords sound bright and settled, minor chords darker, diminished chords tense and augmented chords restless. Hearing that colour instantly is what lets you play songs by ear, follow the harmony when you improvise, and describe what you hear to other musicians.

How to practise chords

Begin with major and minor triads only. The difference lives in the middle note, the 3rd: a major 3rd sounds open, a minor 3rd sounds softer. When those are secure, add diminished and augmented triads, then the seventh chords, each of which has its own character: the smooth major 7th, the bluesy dominant 7th, the mellow minor 7th.

If a chord is hard to name, sing its notes from the bottom up, or replay it and listen for the highest note. Tap any answer after you respond to hear how that chord would have sounded.

43 chord types and real voicings

The exercise covers 43 chord types, from the four triads to 9ths, 11ths, 13ths and altered dominants. Chords can be played block or broken, in inversions, and in close, open or jazz voicings, so you learn to recognise them the way they appear in real music rather than only in textbook shapes.

Related exercises

Inversions trains you to hear which note is in the bass, Cadences how a phrase ends, and Progressions how chords move from one to the next, written in Roman numerals. You will find all of them on the main ear training page.

Frequently asked questions