How to Train Your Ears for Pitch

Using a Tuner

Set the tuner to a note within your comfortable singing range. Women may want to choose a note between A and C, while men may prefer to start by singing between E and F. You can work up the scale and back down again to explore your range during the exercise. Avoid starting with a note that is difficult for you to sing as this will make the exercise harder. The tuner should recognize the note regardless of what octave you sing it in.Tip: If you don't have a digital tuner, you can purchase one from a music store or online retailer.

Play the note on a well-tuned instrument and listen to it. You can use any well-tuned instrument to do this. Imagine the sound of the note in your head after you listen to it. This is called “auralising” and it can help you to sing the same sound. There are also YouTube videos that you can follow along with to help you with this exercise.

Sing the note and look at the tuner to see if you are hitting it. The screen on a digital tuner will give you real-time feedback on the note you are singing, so look at the screen while you sing the note. The arrow will either point straight up, to the right, or to the left, and each position indicates a different type of feedback. For example: If the tuner’s pointer is aiming straight up, then you are hitting the right note. If the tuner is pointing to the left, this means that you are “flat” or below the note. If the arrow is pointing to the right, then you are “sharp” or above the note.

Adjust the note after getting feedback from the tuner. If the note was in the correct pitch, then you don’t have to change a thing. Just practice recreating the note in the same way. If the note was flat, adjust your voice to raise the pitch of the note. If the note was sharp, adjust your voice to lower the pitch. Repeat the exercise with different notes to develop your skills. Aim to practice for 5 minutes daily as part of your normal musical practice.Tip: Keep in mind that you may need to experiment to find the correct note, so don’t worry if it takes you a few tries.

Doing Additional Ear-Training Exercises

Learn what various notes sound like. Play and listen to a note on a piano or other instrument and focus on the sound. Continue to play notes in a sequence until you can recognize and replicate each one. Then, play random notes and try to identify them to test yourself. You could also ask a friend to play random notes on one instrument and then try to match them on yours or by singing them. Try testing yourself by listening to a song and them trying to play it back. When you can do this with most songs, you’ll be sure that you have a good grasp on what notes sound like.

Practice identifying intervals. Listen to a song and then play it back or transcribe the notes. Identify the key that the piece is in, but then turn your focus to the notes. Repeat this practice daily so that you will get better and better at recognizing different intervals. There are several common intervals that you may want to learn including: Major second Major third Perfect fourth Perfect fifth Major seventh Perfect eighth (also known as perfect octave) Augmented intervals Diminished intervals

Work on recognizing different chords. If you play guitar or another string instrument, recognizing chords is essential for training your ear. Start by learning to recognize the difference between the G major and G minor chords. Then, work on interval training. Play G and then Bb and focus on the sound that the 2 notes make together. This is what makes up a major third on the guitar. After you have some practice, you could also have a friend play major and minor thirds at random and try to identify them.

Use a metronome or play along with music to hone your rhythm skills. Using a metronome can help you to maintain a steady rhythm while you play. However, if you don’t have a metronome, you can also play along with a recording of music that has a good, steady beat. Tip: Even playing along with other musicians who have good rhythm can help you, so you might consider joining a band or jamming with friends now and then.