About This Chord Ear Trainer
Chord quality — whether a chord is major, minor, diminished, or augmented — is what gives harmony its emotional color. This free trainer plays a chord and asks you to identify its quality by ear, the skill behind playing by ear, figuring out songs, and writing your own progressions.
How to use it
Press play to hear the chord, then choose the quality you heard. Replay as often as you need; instant feedback shows the right answer when you miss. In the settings you can change the instrument sound, tuning, and pitch range, so the drill matches the music you actually play.
Level progression
Practice starts with the two most common qualities, major and minor, whose bright-versus-dark contrast is the easiest to hear. As your accuracy grows, more chord types join the pool, keeping the challenge just above your comfort level.
FAQ: What should I listen for?
Focus on the third of the chord: a major third sounds bright and settled, a minor third darker. Then check the fifth — a lowered fifth gives the tense, unstable sound of a diminished chord, while a raised fifth gives the floating, unresolved color of an augmented one.