Interval Ear Training
Interval ear training is simple: two notes play, you name the distance between them. It’s the fastest way to develop relative pitch — a free music interval quiz that works instantly in your browser, no signup needed.
What are music intervals?
A music interval is the distance between two notes. Every melody, every chord, every harmony is built from intervals. Learning to recognise them by ear — what musicians call ear training intervals practice — is one of the most powerful skills you can develop. It lets you transcribe music, sing in tune, improvise with confidence, and understand harmony from the inside out.
Intervals have names that describe two things: their quality (perfect, major, minor) and their number (2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc.). A Perfect 5th is 7 semitones. A Major 3rd is 4. An Octave is 12. Once you learn musical intervals by ear, you can hear the structure of any piece of music — and start to play it back, write it down, or build on it.
How to use this interval ear training tool
The whole tool fits on one screen — no scrolling, no menus. It works as a music interval quiz: three fixed zones top to bottom, designed to keep your hands on the answers and your focus on listening.
One screen, three zones
Your score lives at the top in pill-shaped counters. The play button and settings sit in the centre. The interval grid is docked at the bottom, always within thumb reach. Nothing scrolls — everything stays fixed in place.
Tap play and listen
Hit the gold play button (or press Space on desktop). You’ll hear two notes — the direction depends on your setting: ascending, descending, harmonic (both together), or random. Tap play again to re-hear it as many times as you like.
Name the interval you hear
The 13 intervals are arranged chromatically in a 4-column grid, grouped musically. Buttons are colour-coded by quality — warm tint for perfect intervals, lighter for major, cooler for minor, and a distinct shade for the tritone. Tap the one you think you heard.
Learn from instant feedback
Get it right and the button lights up green. Get it wrong and you’ll see your guess in red alongside the correct answer — so you immediately learn the difference. A new interval plays automatically after each answer.
Interval identification: all 13 music intervals
There are 13 intervals within an octave. Interval identification becomes much easier when you associate each one with the opening of a familiar song — a technique used in aural training and music education for generations:
Music interval practice tips
A few habits that make a real difference to how quickly your interval recognition improves:
Start with ascending intervals
Ascending intervals are the easiest to identify because you hear the lower note first, giving your ear a clear anchor. Master all 13 ascending before switching to descending or harmonic in your music interval practice.
Five minutes a day beats an hour a week
Interval recognition is pattern recognition — it improves with regular, short sessions rather than marathon cramming. Do a quick round while the kettle boils. Consistency is everything.
Use the colour coding
The buttons are tinted by quality: perfect intervals, major, minor, and the tritone each have their own shade. Over time your eye learns the grid positions alongside your ear, building spatial memory that makes answering faster.
Rotate all three sounds
If you always train on piano, your ear learns intervals on piano. The sine wave strips away all timbre and forces you to hear the pure pitch relationship. Rotate all three sounds for the most transferable ear training intervals skill.
Who is interval ear training for?
Anyone who wants to hear music more deeply. Whether you’re a complete beginner or a working musician, interval ear training sharpens skills that transfer across every musical activity.
Exam Students
Preparing for ABRSM, Trinity, or university aural tests? Aural training intervals is a core exam component — practise interval recognition here for free, as often as you need.
Singers
Build confidence in sight-reading and pitch accuracy. Learning to identify ear training intervals by sound makes every new piece faster to learn and more secure in performance.
Instrumentalists
Guitarists, pianists, and string players building transcription skills. Once you can learn musical intervals by ear, you can hear a melody and start to play it back immediately.
Church Musicians
Pick out hymn tunes and accompaniment lines by ear in rehearsal. Strong interval identification skills let you lead confidently without relying entirely on printed music.
Interval ear training: frequently asked questions
What is interval ear training?
Interval ear training is the practice of learning to identify the distance between two notes by listening. You hear an interval played, then name it — minor 2nd, perfect 5th, octave, etc. It’s the foundation of relative pitch, musical transcription, and confident sight-reading.
What is interval identification and why does it matter?
Interval identification is the ability to hear two notes and instantly name the distance between them. It matters because all melody, harmony, and chord structure is built from intervals. Develop it and you can transcribe music by ear, improvise freely, and understand what you hear — not just what you see on a score.
How does this music interval quiz work?
Two notes play in sequence (or together, in harmonic mode). You tap the interval you think you heard from the 13-button grid at the bottom of the screen. The tool tells you immediately whether you’re right, shows you the correct answer if you’re wrong, and plays the next interval automatically. It’s a continuous music interval quiz with no time pressure.
What are the 13 intervals?
From unison to octave: Unison (P1), Minor 2nd (m2), Major 2nd (M2), Minor 3rd (m3), Major 3rd (M3), Perfect 4th (P4), Tritone (TT), Perfect 5th (P5), Minor 6th (m6), Major 6th (M6), Minor 7th (m7), Major 7th (M7), and Octave (P8).
What sounds does the interval trainer use?
Three synthesised sounds: Piano (triangle wave with harmonics and decay), Organ (sustained sine with a second harmonic), and Sine (pure tone — the hardest for interval recognition as there’s no timbre to help). Rotating between them builds a more flexible ear.
Can I use keyboard shortcuts?
Yes, on desktop. Press Space to play an interval. Use 1–9, 0, -, =, ] to answer, corresponding to the 13 intervals in chromatic order from unison to octave.
Ready to start your interval ear training?
13 intervals, 3 sounds, 4 directions. Free music interval practice, instant, no signup. Works on phone, tablet, and desktop.
