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Ear training that gets you playing melodies by ear

Hear a tune, then find it on the piano note by note: no chord chart, no sheet music, just your ear and one reference note.

This is what you'll be able to do with our method and lessons.

StartTest your ear first

Free, in your browser. Short audio lessons, a few minutes a day.

The goal of the courseOde to Joy (Beethoven, public domain)

Hear a tune once. Find every note from one reference note. Play it back.

  1. miE
  2. miE
  3. faF
  4. solG
  5. solG
  6. faF
  7. miE
  8. reD
  9. doC
  10. doC
  11. reD
  12. miE
  13. miE
  14. reD
  15. reD

Reference note: C (do), the white key left of the two black keys. Tap any key to hear it.

What is ear training?

Ear training is practice that teaches you to recognise what you hear in music: whether a note goes up or down, the interval between two notes, chords, chord progressions and melodies. Tonecamp trains relative pitch with short audio games, so you learn to find every note of a tune from one reference note and play it back. It is free and runs in your browser.

Relative pitch, not perfect pitch

The demo above never names a note out of nowhere. It starts from one reference note and measures every other note from it. That is relative pitch, and it is what musicians who play by ear use.

What you'll learn

  • Find notes from a reference: "that's a step up", "back to do".
  • Recognise intervals, chords and progressions by their sound.
  • Replay a short melody you just heard on the keyboard.

What we don't promise

  • Naming a note with no reference (perfect pitch): rare, and very few adults reach it.
  • "Perfect pitch in 30 days", or any shortcut of the kind.
  • A hearing test: our tests are musical skill checks.

The path from your first note to your first melody

Five steps, each built on the one before. Reading music and rhythm run alongside as optional tracks.

  1. 1NotesHigher or lower, the home note, then do, mi and sol in any key. A mini piano is on screen from the first lesson.See the lessons
  2. 2IntervalsThe distance between two notes: exactly what you measure to get from one note of a tune to the next.See the lessons
  3. 3ChordsMajor or minor, sevenths, inversions: the colour under a melody.See the lessons
  4. 4ProgressionsI–V–vi–IV, ii–V–I and the other chord moves behind thousands of songs.See the lessons
  5. 5MelodiesHear a short tune, tap it back on the keyboard, up to whole folk melodies.The goal

See the full learning path

Free tests: see where your ear starts

Two minutes each, no sign-up. Microphone tests analyse your voice on your device and never record it.

Free testVocal range testSing low to high: find your range and voice type.Free testTone deaf testSame or different? A quick check of pitch discrimination, no microphone needed.Free testPerfect pitch testName notes with no reference. Most people can't, and that's normal.Free testPitch matchingHear a note, sing it back, see how close you are in cents.Free toolPitch detectorSing or play: see the note and how sharp or flat it is.

All tests

Daily game

One note a day

The same mystery note for everyone, every day. Hear the reference, guess the note in as few tries as you can, keep your streak going. About a minute.

Play today's note

Learn by topic

Every page plays its sounds and ends with a quick ear quiz.

12 intervalsIntervalsHear each one, with songs that start with it.11 chord typesChordsMajor, minor, sevenths, sus: formula and sound.Scales and modesScalesMajor, minor, pentatonic, blues and the modes.10 progressionsChord progressionsI–V–vi–IV, ii–V–I, 12-bar blues, in every key.Treble and bass clefRead musicName the notes on the staff, then sight-read.InteractiveCircle of fifthsEvery key, its signature and its chord.88 keysPiano notesEvery key named, with its sound and frequency.Do Re MiSolfègeSyllables, movable do and an ear exercise.

The science, plainly

TrainableRelative pitchWhat it is and how to train it.The researchPerfect pitchCan adults learn it? What studies found.

Frequently asked questions

Can I learn to play melodies by ear without perfect pitch?

Yes. Playing by ear uses relative pitch: you start from one known note and find the others by their distance from it. Relative pitch improves with regular practice at any age; that is what the lessons train.

Will ear training give me perfect pitch?

No, and we don't promise it. Perfect (absolute) pitch, naming a note out of nowhere, is rare and mostly linked to musical training in early childhood; very few adults reach it. You can measure it with the free perfect pitch test.

Do I need a piano or an account?

No. Every sound is generated in your browser and the lessons have an on-screen keyboard. There is no account and no cookie: progress is saved in your browser.

How long does a lesson take?

A few minutes. Each lesson is a short set of audio questions, and a daily note game keeps the habit going in about a minute.

How sounds, answers and scores work: methodology and sources.