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Interval Ear Training

An interval is the difference in pitch between two notes. In Western music the smallest interval between two notes is one semitone, while a perfect octave is and interval of twelve semitones. Learning intervals is incredibly useful; if you have a melody in your head and you want to pick it out on a piano keyboard, it is vital to know the intervals between the notes you are imagining.

Interval listening test / Streak: 0

Identify the played interval:
M2
M3
P4
P5

Interval comparison test / Streak: 0

Select the largest interval:

Interval reading test / Streak: 0

Identify the presented interval:
M2
M3
P4
P5

Interval Ear Training Made Easy

If you can recognise the distance between two notes without touching your instrument, music opens up in remarkable ways. You stop guessing at melodies, chord voicings start to make sense, and singing in tune feels natural instead of lucky. That listening super-power is built on one skill: knowing your intervals.

Meet the 4 Core Interval Exercises:

Interval Listening Test Interval Listening Test

You hear two notes, then pick the correct interval name. Begin with friendly steps, such as unison or a major second, and add trickier leaps once your ears have settled in. A week of steady practice and you will find yourself humming along to songs and landing on the right notes more often than not.

Interval Comparison Test Interval Comparison Test

Two different intervals play back-to-back. Your job is simply to say which one is larger. It teaches the “size” of musical space, the same way your eyes can judge whether one object is closer than another. That instinct becomes invaluable when you try to pull a melody out of a dense chord.

Interval Play Test Interval Play Test

Now the screen calls out an interval and you have to play it on the onscreen keyboard or any MIDI controller you have nearby. It is where ear and muscle memory shake hands.

Interval Reading Test Interval Reading Test

Two notes pop up on a staff. Identify the gap between them and you have linked sheet music to sound in your head. Sight-reading stops feeling like code and starts feeling like hearing the tune before your fingers touch the strings or keys.

Personalize your Interval Ear Training Exercises

Click the Personalize button and a panel appears with every option you could want. Highlight just three intervals if you are brand-new, or turn on the full set once you feel confident. Slide between Ascending, Descending, Harmonic, or Mix to keep your ears guessing, choose the octave range that sounds comfortable, and tweak tempo or volume so nothing feels rushed or too quiet. These tiny adjustments keep the drills in that sweet spot where you are challenged but never overwhelmed.

Use the Drills as a Warm-Up, Then Go for High Scores

Five minutes of focused drilling is the perfect pre-game stretch before you dive into ToneGym’s interval-based games:

  • Intervalis – spot the distance when two notes ring together.
  • Departurer – chase upward jumps at speed.
  • Lander – catch the same jumps coming back down.
  • Calibrator – listen to three intervals and tag the biggest.
  • Interval Barks – sing the interval that flashes on screen while a reference note sounds.

The games turn practice into a friendly competition with yourself. Watch your scores climb and you will see exactly how the warm-up translates to real-time performance.

Quick Tips for Steady Progress

  1. Add intervals slowly - master two or three, hit eighty percent accuracy, then bring in a new one.
  2. Tie intervals to songs you love - happy Birthday for a major second up, the Star Wars theme for a perfect fifth - use our Interval Memorizer to help you.
  3. Keep score and celebrate - a new streak record or a higher game rank is proof your ears are getting sharper.

Ready to Hear More in Every Note?

Join ToneGym today and unlock the full ear-training program that sharpens your listening, speeds up your playing, and lifts your musicianship to the next level.