PianoChords & Intervals

train your ear · understand the harmony

Chords & Intervals.

Every melody is built from intervals; every chord from stacked thirds. Hear them, learn the song that lives inside each one, see how to play it on your instrument — then train your ear on one at a time and reveal the answer when you're ready.

root note

The twelve intervals

Hear each one melodically (one after the other) or as harmony (together). The song is your memory hook.

Minor 2nd m2the “Jaws” themeC4C♯4
Major 2nd M2“Happy Birthday” (first step)C4D4
Minor 3rd m3“Greensleeves” / “Smoke on the Water”C4D♯4
Major 3rd M3“When the Saints” (Oh, when…)C4E4
Perfect 4th P4“Here Comes the Bride” / “Amazing Grace”C4F4
Tritone TT“The Simpsons” (The Simp-…)C4F♯4
Perfect 5th P5“Twinkle, Twinkle” / “Star Wars”C4G4
Minor 6th m6“The Entertainer” themeC4G♯4
Major 6th M6“My Bonnie” / the NBC chimesC4A4
Minor 7th m7“Star Trek” themeC4A♯4
Major 7th M7“Take On Me” (chorus leap)C4B4
Octave P8“Somewhere Over the Rainbow”C4C5

Train your ear — intervals

One interval, played from a random note. Name it in your head, then reveal it.

Play one, sing it back, work out what it is — then check yourself.