Ear training for guitarists, ten questions at a time
Short, scored rounds that teach you to recognise intervals and chord qualities by ear. Ten questions take about three minutes — little enough to do every day, which is exactly how an ear improves.
How it works
- Choose intervals or chordsTwelve intervals from the minor 2nd to the octave, or six chord qualities.
- Listen and answerFRET plays the sound with its guitar synth; replay it as often as you like, then pick your answer.
- Beat your bestEach round is ten questions. Your best score is saved so you can see progress.
Two modes
Intervals
FRET plays two notes and you name the distance between them: minor 2nd, major 2nd, minor 3rd, major 3rd, perfect 4th, tritone, perfect 5th, minor 6th, major 6th, minor 7th, major 7th or octave. Intervals are the building blocks of melody — recognise them and you can work out riffs and solos by ear.
Chords
FRET strums a chord and you name its quality: major, minor, dominant 7th, major 7th, minor 7th or sus4. That’s the skill you need to hear the difference between a happy and a sad chord in a song, or a bluesy 7th and a dreamy major 7th.
Why ten questions a day works
Ear training responds to frequency, not session length. Ten questions daily for a month will do more than an hour on a Sunday, because your brain consolidates what it heard between sessions. FRET keeps your best round so you can watch the number climb — most players notice a clear jump after three or four weeks.
Sing before you answer. Humming the interval or the chord’s root before choosing trains your inner hearing much faster than listening alone.
How to get the most from it
- Start narrow. Focus on the intervals you get wrong; the ear training guide suggests starting with the major 3rd, perfect 5th and octave.
- Find it on the guitar. After each answer, play the interval on your instrument. This links what you hear to where it is on the fretboard.
- Mix in real music. Use the free chord recognizer to check chords you hear in songs.
- Make it a habit. In FRET’s “Ear & fretboard” routine, an interval quiz is a step in your guided practice session, followed by a fretboard round.
Who it’s for
Beginners who want to play by ear, intermediate players who want to improvise with confidence, and anyone learning songs from recordings. You don’t need to read music or know theory — every answer is named in plain words.
Questions
What does FRET’s ear training include?
An interval quiz with twelve intervals from minor 2nd to octave, and a chord quiz with six chord qualities.
How long is a round?
Ten questions, about three minutes.
Do I need to read music?
No. You listen and pick from named answers.
Is ear training free in FRET?
It’s part of FRET Pro, with a 7-day free trial.