Have you ever wondered why some people seem to effortlessly play by ear while others struggle?
Well, let's talk about the first step to training your ear: music theory.
Yep, that's right – that thing your old music teacher probably ranted about is actually your secret weapon to developing a highly trained ear.
Ear training is like flexing a muscle.
The more you work it, the stronger it gets.
But here's the kicker: without a solid understanding of music theory, it's like trying to lift weights blindfolded.
Music theory is your roadmap, guiding you through the twists and turns of music. It's the cheat code that unlocks the secrets to ear training.
But there is good news!
You do not need a degree in music to understand this. You really only need to understand a few basics to develop your ear.
This boils down to understanding 3 things:
Intervals
Scales
And keys
That's it! And it will be easier than you think.
So grab a snack, and let's get started.
Understanding Intervals
Intervals are the distances between two notes – think of them as a musical measuring tape.
Each interval is separated by a half step (1 fret). Below is a list of all of them.
1 b2 2 b3 3 4 b5 5 b6 6 b7 7
So, if I were in the G key, I would start on a G note; this would be the 1.
If I went up one fret from there, it would be a b2. If I went up another one, it would be a two and so on.
And that's how intervals work.
Exploring Scales
Scales are like musical roadmaps; they show you where you can and cannot go.
And all scales do is take certain intervals, play them together, and voila! We have a scale.
For example, the major scale consists of intervals: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7. So, from the list of intervals before, if you remove all the flat intervals, you are left with the major scale.
The minor scale has intervals 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 and discards the rest.
Unlocking Keys
The difference between scales is that scales are notes, while keys are chords. So, if you found that the C major scales have notes C D E F G A B, then great!
But…
They are notes, not chords.
To know the chords, you need to know a few simple formulas.
In the major key, the 1 4 5 are major, the 2 3 6 are minor, and the 7 is diminished.
In the minor key, the 1 4 5 are minor, the b3 b6 b7 are major, and the 2 is diminished.
If you want to hear me go into more detail on this, watch the video below.
I would also like to invite you to check out my online ear training course called Complete Ear Mastery. This is an online ear training course specifically for guitar players. Get all the info here: