Sometimes, as we become more familiar with music theory, we start taking the fundamentals for granted. After all, a step is a step, right? In order to really develop your ear, though, it can be surprisingly helpful to look at the basic functions of an interval with fresh eyes.

As you read this article, it might seem at first like the subject of this post is just picky semantics, but I’ve seen this subtle shift in thought help the ear training process “click” for dozens of people. And it really is just a simple shift: rather than practicing an interval by focusing on the jump from one note to another, think in terms of the distance between the two notes.

Your first instinct may be a roll of the eyes! That is, after all, the basic definition of an “interval.” But it’s one thing to know it intellectually and another entirely to be mindful of it while practicing, and it’s the latter point that really affects the progress you’ll make with ear training.

Stay mindful

Remember, for instance, a time in which you’ve found yourself trying over and over to nail a tough interval leap in a melody. You’re consistently a half step off, so you try playing it on an instrument, try it again, still off, all the while becoming more frustrated and thus less accurate. It’s in this moment that we forget that an interval expresses the distance between the notes, and instead try to bludgeon the independent tones far enough into our skulls that we won’t forget them when they pop up in context. While this can be somewhat effective, in the end it’s far less than ideal for a couple of reasons.

Keep your eye on the prize

The first reason is fairly obvious. If you’re having trouble with an interval in a specific melody, you might still Click to read the rest…

Are you looking to play pop songs by ear or improve your music transcription skills? Want to spice up your song-writing? Have you heard of a ‘four chord song’ and wondered what that means?

My recent articles have explained the 3 chords every musician should know intimately and the huge number of three-chord songs based on them.

If you don’t know what a “1, 4, 5 progression” is, or what the strange symbols in “I-IV-V” mean, don’t worry. Find out all about the I, IV and V chords and their use in popular three-chord songs before reading on in this article.

Today we’re going to expand beyond the I, IV and V chords. These three chords are used in many songs, called “3 chord songs”, but there’s a whole lot more you can learn to recognise with only a bit more ear training.

So, how can you take a simple 3-chord progression and turn it into something a bit more colorful and different?

Add a fourth chord, of course! Just as there are a huge number of 3 chord songs, there are even more “four chord songs”. We’ve even written before about the most common 4 chord progression (the “sensitive female chord progression”) which is used in a surprising number of popular songs!

Read on to find out how adding a fourth chord, the vi (or “six”) chord, creates a whole new range of possible 4-chord progressions and 4-chord songs. In fact because this set of four chords is so versatile they are often called the “magic 4 chords”.

Training your ear to hear the vi chord will allow you to appreciate and recognise vastly more chord progressions and easily play songs by ear or write new songs yourself.

Click to read the rest…

You’ve probably heard of “3-chord songs” before. These songs tend to be catchy and popular and only feature a few select chords – usually the same ones repeating themselves over and over.

Have you seen these books in music shops: “How to play 3 chord guitar” or “1000 songs with 3 chords”? It might sound like exaggeration but there really are a huge number of songs which rely on just 3 chords. You might be surprised just how much variety is possible despite this simple musical basis.

The good news? These songs are great for beginner musicians and are also the perfect tool to train your ears and learn how to recognize certain chords. Ear training exercises are great, of course, but nothing beats the capacity of recognizing chords in actual pieces and songs you hear.

Popular 3-chord songs

Let’s start by looking at some of the most well-known 3 chord songs:

• Ring of Fire (Johnny Cash)
• Sweet Home Alabama (Lynyrd Skynyrd)
• Leaving on a Jet Plane (John Denver)
• Shook me All Night Long (AC/DC)
• All Shook Up (Elvis Presley)
• Love is a Rose (Neil Young)
• Donna (Richie Valens)
• Amazing Grace (Daniel Thomas)

You can also explore The Beatles’ early releases, though some of these push the 3-chord concept a little bit further by adding a few extra chords.

As you can see, Click to read the rest…