What Are the Benefits of Ear Training?

Table of Contents

• What ear training actually trains
• The core benefits
• How those benefits happen
• A short exercise
• Common myths
• Next steps

What ear training actually trains

Ear training is about learning to recognize and label musical structures (scale degrees, intervals, chords, rhythms, etc.) by ear, without the need for an instrument or guesswork. In truth, however, ear training is actually mind training. You learn to translate the raw experience of music into labels and concepts which fit together in a mental framework, allowing you to understand what’s happening in real-time. This has massive benefits for musicians of all kinds.

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The core benefits

1) Learn songs by ear quickly and easily

After internalizing the feeling-states of scale degrees and chords, the notes which make up the melodies and harmonies of a song become obvious. There is a sense that the answers jump out at you without effort.

You’ll notice:

• Less reliance on sheets and tabs.
• Fewer rewinds when figuring out a song.
• Greater confidence in what you’re playing or singing.

2) Stronger improvisation & composition choices

Ear training applies as much to your musical imagination (AKA “audiation”) as it does to external listening. Moving from the sound in your mind to actual notes in the air becomes easy and natural.

You’ll notice:

• Less frustration when improvising or composing.
• An intuitive sense of which notes work with which chords.
• Reduced focus on shapes, patterns, and memorized licks.

3) Easier transcription & analysis

The secrets of great music are hidden in plain sound. A developed ear leads to unlocking these secrets through painless transcription and analysis.

You’ll notice:

• Increased speed and accuracy when transcribing.
• Stronger connection between sound, feeling, and music theory.
• More fun when studying music.

4) Better intonation, timing, and audiation

All the fundamentals of music are strengthened through ear training. It’s like increasing the resolution and clarity of music in your mind.

You’ll notice:

• Finer perception of tuning and intonation.
• More vibrant audiation.
• Steadier and more accurate rhythm.

5) Faster composition and production workflows

Hearing more accurately means less time hunting for chords, bass lines, and melodies when writing music or making beats.

You’ll notice:

• More fun and flow when producing/composing music.
• Better choices that make more musical sense.
• Easier manipulation of samples and loops through hearing what’s happening.

6) Confident collaboration & jamming

A sharp ear means you can play along without having to speak. Shared terminology (labels) means that, when you do need to communicate, there is less confusion.

You’ll notice:

• A relaxed disposition when jamming and rehearsing.
• The ability to find the right notes without having to ask.
• Better understanding of musical discussions.

7) Greater overall musical fluency

Ear training leads to a deeper feeling of musicality from the ground up. You become a native speaker of the language, able to understand and respond more instinctively.

You’ll notice:

• A real satisfaction born of true understanding.
• Greater creativity and musical freedom in all areas.
• Authentic trust in your self, your ear, and your own sensibilities.

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How those benefits happen

• Contextual training: real music happens in the context of a key; ear training should be the same.
• Feeling-first: get to know the unique quality of the degree, chord, or rhythm you’re trying to learn.
• Use your voice: singing, while keeping correct labels in mind, is the most direct route to a keen ear.
• Wholistic routine: deep ear training requires engagement with music in a variety of ways, not just via apps.
• Be consistent: a little everyday goes a long way!

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A short exercise

The goal

Get to know the feeling-states of scale degrees 1, 3, and 5.

Setup

• Option 1: Use Sonofield Ear Trainer. Go to Free Play Mode and start the drone.
• Option 2: Use an instrument (piano or guitar). Play a steady drone for yourself using a low note between C2 and B2, gently hitting it repeatedly few seconds.

Steps

1. Take a deep breath and relax. A restful mind is key.
2. Sing the tonic (drone note), in any octave that is comfortable, and hold it for 3 to 10 seconds.
   1. Notice the resolved, stable feeling as you resonate with the drone.
   2. Take a short break and repeat the note several times, bathing in the experience.
3. Now sing scale degree 5. Hold it. Feel into the open, clear quality. Explore the resonance.
4. Return to 1 (the tonic) and then alternate between the two degrees, comparing and contrasting them.
5. Now sing scale degree 3. How does it feel? Sweet? Warm? Lush?
6. Compare all three degrees by moving between them slowly: 1–3–5–3–1
7. Remember: ignore the pitch and focus on the feeling.

Check your progress

Once you’ve gotten familiar with these feeling-states, open up Sonofield Ear Trainer and go to level 1 in Degree Mode. Take it slow, sing the notes back to clarify them, and see how you do.

If it feels difficult or unclear, take a break and return to the drone exercise later on. You need to gain more experience with each degree. This process can’t be forced and there is no rush. Take your time and remain consistent.

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Common myths

“Intervals drills are enough.”

Intervals training can be helpful, but musical feeling is created through relationship to a tonal center, the tonic. Contextual training is the most powerful approach to develop relative pitch.

“Perfect pitch is better than relative pitch.”

Although people with perfect pitch can identify exactly which notes are being played, it’s relative pitch which tells you how the music structured and what’s really going on. Also, there is little evidence to suggest perfect pitch can be developed at all if you don’t already have it.

“Labels and music theory will kill my creativity.”

In my experience, the opposite is true. My musical experience has become richer and more nuanced as I’ve progressed in my ear training. As well, since I can trust my ear more, I take more risks and explore new material because I know how to find my way back.

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Next steps

• Try today’s exercise once more—sing 1–3–5–3 over a drone—then test yourself in Sonofield Ear Trainer. Repeat daily as you explore more scale degrees.
• Want a deeper overview of the approach? Read The Sonofield Method.

Enjoy the journey!

Talk soon, Max 🌞