Your ears are your most important tool as a musician.
Some people possess a special gift where they can instantly pick up the right notes. They hear a song a couple of times before they start to play it on their instrument. It’s an amazing talent, but not everybody has it.
Fortunately, it is possible to train your ear to a high level.
Ear training software is specially created to help users develop this skill. These apps are a useful aid for musicians of all levels. When you use them in combination with an instrument, you may speed up your listening abilities.
Let’s look at ear training software and see what is involved.
Why Train Your Ear?
First, let’s talk about the benefits of training your ear.
Essentially, you’re connecting music theory with the sounds that you hear. As you train your ear, you can clearly discern different chords, pitches, and intervals. This offers massive benefits for your own music.
This makes life easier because you can transcribe melodies just by listening to them. You’ll also improve so many different aspects of your musicality. From tuning your instrument to improving your rhythm, the possibilities are endless.
It’s also an awesome party trick! Nothing impresses people more than when a guitarist picks up their instrument and just starts playing after they hear a song.
Perfect Pitch Vs. Relative Pitch
These terms will be familiar to anybody interested in training their ears.
Anybody who can identify musical notes without consulting any references is demonstrating perfect pitch. Basically, they hear the music and instantly know its components. This comes more naturally to some people than others.
Relative pitch is much easier to improve.
In short, you’re comparing musical notes to a reference. Ear training software is very useful for improving this skill. Let’s look at this now.
Ear Training Software
We don’t live in the stone age anymore. These days everything is digital.
That’s why you can easily find ear training software that can help you maximize your skills. It won’t work for everybody, and some people won’t need it at all. But if you’re struggling to reach the next level or want to test your skills, you can check them out.
It also takes away the middle man.
Using a computer enables you to practice whenever you want. It will offer instant feedback so that you know if you’re right or wrong. All you need is a device so you can practice whenever you have a free moment.
How Do They Work?
There are many ear training apps available, but most of them work the same way.
Plugin your headphones and listen to an audio sample. All you need to do is answer what you’ve heard. The app will instantly let you know if you answered correctly.
Of course, the disadvantage is that it can become a memory test instead of a learning test if you keep repeating the same exercises. Try using a couple of different apps to get the most from them.
Common Ear Training Apps and Software
Let’s briefly break down some of the most popular ear training software available today.
Ear training software is available as downloadable apps or in the form of online subscription platforms. It’s really up to you how much you want to invest.
There are loads of apps and different types out there, so don’t limit your search to these!
1. Tenuto
This is the app version of musictheory.net. It doesn’t require internet access. The app comes with 24 exercises and six calculators to help you on your journey.
It’s available on iOS and has a lovely interface, as you’d expect.
2. Teoria
Another great app for ear training, Teoria, offers many exercises across different genres.
Practice intervals over and over until you get them. Their jazz tests are also excellent because of the intricate chords. This is one of the most popular apps today.
3. Good-Ear.com
Admittedly, this site doesn’t have the most beautiful interface.
But make no mistake, this free database has some excellent ear-training tools. It’s functional, and you can save money at the same time.
Once you get past the 90s aesthetic, it’s a brilliant resource.
4. Train Your Ears
This ear training software takes a different approach to the previous apps because it’s aimed at sound engineers.
The main focus is to help users learn sounds frequencies and equalizers. It offers instant feedback and informs you how close your response was to the correct answer.
5. Sound Gym
Another useful ear training software, Sound Gym, is very interactive.
It promotes listening skills through fun sound games that are designed to take away the stress of learning. They focus on aspects like frequency and difference detection, amongst many others.
Learn to Read Music First
Don’t make the mistake of trying to learn by ear before you can read music.
Learning to read theory is crucial to develop into a serious musician. Guitarists who concentrate on this aspect first have a much higher success rate than those who don’t.
Have some patience because a foundation, in theory, will actually help you when it comes to training your ear. That’s because you’ll know all of the different chords and notes.
Final Thoughts
The ear training software can make a massive difference for musicians of all levels.
It doesn’t matter what your skill level is. If you’re a beginner, it makes a great companion when you’re learning music theory because it’s interactive. Meanwhile, experienced musicians can also keep sharp and refine their ability to learn by ear.
Stay patient and be consistent.
Everybody hits roadblocks now and again when they’re trying to learn different elements of music. If an app isn’t working for you, try a different one or choose another learning method.
As some apps take different approaches, a combination can be even more helpful than just using one. Experiment until you find what works best for you.
You’ll be jamming with your friends in no time!