Note Pierce blog
Make sense of what you hear.
Listening exercises, music theory and practical guides to take from your browser to your instrument.
Ear training lessons
Compare a sound, try a listening example, then take it to your instrument.
6 lessons
Chords
Chord Inversions by Ear: Follow the Bass Note
Learn to distinguish a chord’s root from its bass. Compare root position, first inversion and second inversion with a short listening exercise.
Intermediate beginner; understands major and minor triads
Try the lesson →Scales & modes
Dorian vs Aeolian: Hear the Sixth, Not Just “Minor”
Compare Dorian and Aeolian on the same tonic, then hear how Phrygian and Locrian differ. Use short phrases and a steady reference note.
Intermediate; understands scale degrees and a tonal center
Try the lesson →Practice routines
A Five-Minute Ear Training Routine You Can Repeat
Use five minutes to review one sound, compare it, sing or tap it, and try it on your instrument. A small ear-training routine with a clear next step.
Beginner or returning musician; short-session workflow
Try the lesson →Chords
How to Hear I–IV and I–V Chord Progressions
Hear chord relationships instead of guessing chord names. Compare I–IV and I–V, sing the roots, and try the same movements in a second key.
Beginner/intermediate; can distinguish basic chord qualities
Try the lesson →Chords
Major vs Minor Chords: How to Hear the Difference
Compare major and minor chords by listening for the third. Try a short video challenge, then sing and play the difference on your instrument.
Beginner; any instrument or voice
Try the lesson →Rhythm
Rhythm Training: Tap Along, Then Tap It Back
Practice rhythm with a steady pulse, quarter and eighth notes, and a short call-and-response exercise. Listen, count, tap and bring it to your instrument.
Beginner; no drum kit or notation fluency required
Try the lesson →Try this today · 5 minutes
Compare two sounds you keep mixing up
- Choose two intervals, such as a minor third and a major third. Play them from the same starting note and listen to the difference.
- Hum each interval, then test yourself without looking. In Note Pierce, use a Custom interval drill with those two choices.
- Return to one short phrase in a song you know. Hum it, find the notes on your instrument, and compare the distance with the intervals you practiced.
Write down the pair that still confuses you and revisit it next time. If the song moves too quickly, Tempo Kit’s video practice controls can help you loop and slow a supported video; those controls require Pro.
Explore Note Pierce →Read, listen, then try it
Selected articles from our music sites. Tempo Kit links open the original guide in a new tab; Crescendo Companion articles stay on this site.
Crescendo Companion
How to update browser extensions
Update Note Pierce or Tempo Kit in Chrome, Edge and Firefox without removing your extension.
Read the guide →Tempo Kit · Opens in a new tab
Find the key of a song by ear
Find the tonal center, test a likely key, and check it on your instrument.
Read the guide →Tempo Kit · Opens in a new tab
Start ear training
A guide to intervals, chord qualities, scales and progressions. Start with one sound you want to recognize.
Read the guide →Tempo Kit · Opens in a new tab
Learn a song by ear
Break a recording into small phrases, listen for the bass, and check what you hear on your instrument.
Read the guide →Tempo Kit · Opens in a new tab
Practice with a drone
Use a steady reference note to hear how intervals and scale tones relate to a tonal center.
Read the guide →Crescendo Companion
A little about Music Theory
Connect the sounds you recognize with the language musicians use to describe them.
Read the guide →