Learning about chords can be overwhelming.

Want to learn to play guitar? Trying to learn how to write pop songs? Need to analyse a 14th Century composition for music theory class? Understanding the world of chords is essential for all of these, but there’s so much to learn.

I’m going to share a particular way to look at chords which is simple – but actually provides the bulk of the understanding you’ll need to build these musical skills!

From the 24 major and minor chords, to all the variants (augmented, extended, and power chords, just to name a few types!), to knowing which can be used when according to complex rules of harmony… There is an awful lot to know about chords! But most of the music we listen to sounds so simple and so natural – surely things can’t be all that complicated?

It turns there are just three chords which are most important to any piece of music. If you want to really improve your music appreciation, learn about these 3 chords.

It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

This lesson will discuss the I, IV and V chords and their importance in music.

Don’t be discouraged by the use of these strange symbols I, IV and V! If you’re not familiar with roman numerals, that’s just a way of writing “the one, four and five chords”. As you follow this article, just read I as “one”, IV as “four” and V as “five”.

We’ll use the famous song “Imagine” by John Lennon as our example of a I–V-IV (“one five four”) progression.

Whether you are just starting to explore music or have been playing an instrument for many years, you have surely heard or read about the I, IV and V chords. These chords are extensively talked about in music theory and for a very good reason; in short, they represent the fundamentals of classical and popular music.

These three chords are considered the Click to read the rest…

With over 150 articles here at EasyEarTraining.com it would be easy to miss out on some that might be useful for your aural skills training.

Today we’re going to take a look at the 9 Training Series we have here on the site, and what each of them can offer you as a musician or audio professional.

Pitch & Harmony

Pitch & Harmony by Thomas Evdokimoff introduces some fundamental concepts in musical ear training, teaching you to recognise and sing intervals and chords. You’ll learn about the solfege system for ear training, and how major and minor scales can be used as the basis for all relative pitch skills.

Listen Close

Brad T. Bush chooses stand-out examples of songs to examine how they’re put together and what can make a track amazing instead of run-of-the-mill. Along the way he’ll point out the techniques used by song-writers, musicians and producers which you need to know for your own music. If you’re keen to hear and understand more in the music you love, Listen Close is a great place to start.

Music & Life

Sabrina Peña Young takes a broad look at all the wonderful ways music influences our lives at every age, and how specific ear training can benefit us, as musicians and simply as people. Of particular interest for parents, Music & Life teaches you how best to nurture a child’s inner musician.

Open Your Ears

Looking for some new musical avenues to explore? Part of being a great musician is having wide experience of musical styles and techniques, and being open to new sounds. Open Your Ears provides some interesting and unusual pointers to new musical experiences.

Bass Tone

If you’re a bass player, or (inspired by Open Your Ears) simply want to expand your knowledge of that low-down instrument, check out Nick Long‘s series Bass Tone. The series covers the different types of bass, from the original double bass through to modern electric bass, and all the other essential topics for crafting (or appreciating) a unique bass tone, including amplifiers and effects. There’s also a free 6-part Bass Tone Podcast if you prefer to learn by listening.

Frequency Fundamentals

Professional audio engineer and studio-owner Fotios Koulakos takes you from zero knowledge to being a master of the audio spectrum with his series Frequency Fundamentals. If you’ve ever wondered what “kilohertz” are, how studio engineers know which knobs to tweak, or struggled to get your recordings to sound professional, get stuck into this series on all things frequency.

Hearing Effects

Picking up where Frequency Fundamentals left off, Hearing Effects dives into the wild world of audio effects, covering all the essential types of sound-processor, including delay, compression and modulation effects. All you guitarists and audio pros should not miss this one!

Wired for Sound

Sometimes ear training can be hard work, and if your sound system’s not up to scratch you’re only making life harder for yourself! Don’t make silly mistakes with your hi-fi setup, learn the right way with Nick Long‘s Wired for Sound.

Listen to Les

Of all the musicians who’ve furthered the art of recorded music, probably none has contributed as much as Les Paul. From his iconic guitar, the Gibson Les Paul, to his innovation in recording techniques, to the audio effects he pioneered, Les Paul’s gift to the world of music has been remarkable, and the Listen to Les series will help you understand why.

Well, did any of those whet your appetite? Hopefully you’ve found something new to dive into. Remember, a topic doesn’t have to be central to your musical world for it to help open your eyes (and ears) to new possibilities, so don’t be afraid to branch out – especially from the music side to the audio side, or vice-versa.

We’re always keen to hear from our readers, so if there are any topics not covered above, or you have a great idea for a new series please do get in touch by email or leave a comment below.

We’ve been cooking up a special treat for you this Halloween!

Think you know your spooky tunes? Test your ears with this Halloween-edition music identification quiz!

There are 10 questions to test you on 11 different haunting melodies – a different selection every time! At the end you’ll have a chance to review any you got wrong.

On a mobile device? Open in a new window

Now don’t forget to let us know your score in the comments below!