Ear training: a beginner’s guide

Nine short reads covering the theory you need for functional ear training: find the tonic first, then hear where each note sits in the key. When you’re done, head back to Earchemy to practise.

1. Start here: how to learn with Earchemy
   The goal is to hear where a note sits in the key — then use that in singing, playing and writing music.
2. Sound, pitch and note names
   First, separate high vs low, tone colour and loudness.
3. Piano keys, semitones and accidentals
   Scales follow rules — not every pair of white keys has a black key between them.
4. Tonic, scale degrees and key
   Find home first — then every note's position makes sense.
5. The seven notes of major, one by one
   Examples use C major. Typical tendencies are listening cues, not composition rules.
6. Twelve positions and chromatic notes
   The 12 pitch positions in an octave only take on specific meaning within a key.
7. Major, minor, relative keys and modes
   The same keys don't necessarily share the same centre.
8. Intervals, chords and progressions
   Hear single elements first, then how they build music.
9. Meter, melodic dictation and planning your practice
   Once you hear the pitches clearly, put them back into rhythm and expression.

References: Functional Ear Trainer · Miles.be · Puget Sound · Music Theory for the 21st-Century Classroom · musictheory.net · Lessons