Chord progression Ear Training

Chord progressions are sets of two or more chords in a piece of music. The word progression relates to the order that the chords are played in, and therefore how the piece of music develops over time. Chords in a progression are normally represented by Roman numerals, and are determined by the key of the piece of music.

Progression listening test / Streak: 0

Identify the played progression:

Progression reading test / Streak: 0

Identify the presented progression:

Ear Training Exercises

All ear-training exercises

Related Games

Route VI

Progression Ear Training Made Easy

Chord progressions are the road-map that tells music where to go: the “I-V-vi-IV” in a pop chorus, the “ii-V-I” every jazz musician knows, the dramatic minor-key cadences in film scores. When your ears can spot those routes on first listen, you can:

Jump into a jam even if you have never heard the tune.
Write tighter songs because you hear what wants to come next.
Improvise solos that trace the harmony instead of floating above it.

The 3 Core Progression Exercises:

Progression Listening Test

Hit Play, hear a short series of chords, and name the progression by Roman numerals. Start with classics such as I-IV-V or ii-V-I, then unlock richer sequences as your accuracy climbs. Within a few sessions, you will feel the “direction” of a song before the lyrics even start.

Progression Reading Test

A mini score appears with several chord slashes above the staff. Identify the harmonic path and you link sheet music to sound - perfect for sight-reading lead sheets or charts on the gig.

Personalise Your Session

Click Preferences and dial in exactly how challenging each round will be:

Choose the scale:

Start in Major if you want the classic, bright sound most pop tunes use.
Switch to Minor when you’re ready for moodier progressions and a little extra ear-stretch.

Pick the progression length:

3 Chords keeps things short and focuses on the essential cadences.
4 Chords matches the length of most radio hooks (think I–V–vi–IV).
5 Chords and 6 Chords add twists that train you to follow longer harmonic stories.

Explore Two Handy Harmony Tools:

Progression Generator

Need fresh material to challenge your ear? Open the Progression Generator and click Create. The tool instantly cooks up a chord sequence in any key, complete with Roman-numeral labels. Loop the playback, clap or strum along, then jump back into the Progression Exercise to see if you can spot the same moves by ear. It’s a perfect way to bridge “random drills” and real-world harmony.

Circle of Fifths

The Circle of Fifths tool lays out every key in a single visual wheel. Spin to the key you’re practising, glance at its diatonic chords, and note the most common modulations. Keep the circle open in a side tab while you train; when a ii-V-I or a sneaky secondary dominant shows up, you’ll see exactly where it lives in the key signature - and why it pulls your ear the way it does.

Use these two tools as a quick reference between practice rounds, and the numeric progressions you hear will start connecting to the larger harmonic map in your head.

Warm Up, Then Test Yourself in the Games

After five focused minutes with the drills, jump into ToneGym’s progression-based game Route VI for real-time pressure.

Start Hearing the Road Map Today

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.