When you hear musicians say they can “play by ear” or “figure out chords just by listening,” what they’re really using is a skill called relative pitch. Unlike perfect pitch — which is rare and often genetic — relative pitch can be learned by anyone.
And for beginner musicians, developing relative pitch is one of the most valuable steps you can take. It helps you recognize melodies, harmonies, and intervals by sound alone — making music more intuitive, fun, and expressive.
This guide will teach you what relative pitch is, how it works, and how to train your ears using simple, beginner-friendly techniques.
What Is Relative Pitch?
Relative pitch is your ability to recognize the relationship between notes — rather than identifying each note in isolation.
For example, if someone plays a C note and then an E note, someone with relative pitch can hear that the second note is a major third above the first — even if they don’t know the exact note names.
It’s about interval recognition — the distance between two notes.
If you’ve ever recognized a familiar tune just by the pattern of notes, you’ve already used relative pitch.
Why Relative Pitch Matters for Beginners
Learning relative pitch helps you:
Play songs by ear
Sing more accurately
Figure out chords and melodies
Improvise confidently
Communicate better with other musicians
Develop musical memory
It turns your ears into a reliable guide — so you’re not dependent on sheet music or tabs.
Relative Pitch vs. Perfect Pitch
Perfect pitch is the ability to name a note without reference (e.g., hearing a note and saying, “That’s a G#”). It’s rare and not necessary for most musicians.
Relative pitch is the ability to identify notes or chords in relation to each other (e.g., “That note is a fifth above the last one”).
The good news: Relative pitch is learnable with daily practice — no matter your age or musical background.
Step 1: Learn to Hear Intervals
An interval is the distance between two notes. Each interval has a specific sound — like a flavor — that your brain can learn to recognize.
Here are the most common intervals (ascending):
Minor 2nd – one half step (e.g., C to C#)
Major 2nd – one whole step (C to D)
Minor 3rd – 3 semitones (C to Eb)
Major 3rd – 4 semitones (C to E)
Perfect 4th – 5 semitones (C to F)
Perfect 5th – 7 semitones (C to G)
Octave – same note, higher (C to high C)
To begin, start with 3 or 4 common intervals:
Major 2nd – “Happy Birthday”
Major 3rd – “When the Saints Go Marching In”
Perfect 4th – “Here Comes the Bride”
Perfect 5th – “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”
Listen to these intervals repeatedly. Sing them. Try to hear them in songs.
Step 2: Sing Intervals — Don’t Just Hear Them
Singing is one of the fastest ways to build relative pitch. When you produce the sound, your brain connects pitch and muscle memory.
Exercise:
Pick a root note (e.g., C)
Sing up to a major third (C to E)
Then try perfect fifth (C to G)
Use a piano or app to check your pitch
You don’t need a beautiful voice — just accurate pitch. Sing slowly and clearly.
Step 3: Use Reference Songs to Memorize Intervals
Attaching familiar songs to each interval helps with memory. Here’s a list to get you started:
Minor 2nd – “Jaws” theme
Major 2nd – “Happy Birthday” (first two notes)
Minor 3rd – “Greensleeves”
Major 3rd – “Oh When the Saints”
Perfect 4th – “Here Comes the Bride”
Perfect 5th – “Star Wars” main theme
Minor 6th – “The Entertainer”
Major 6th – “NBC” theme
Octave – “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”
Sing or hum these daily to build recognition.
Step 4: Play and Identify Intervals on Your Instrument
Choose two random notes on your instrument and ask:
What’s the interval between them?
Is it small or large?
Is it consonant (pleasant) or dissonant (tense)?
Use an app to test and verify. Start slow — even 5 minutes a day builds strong progress.
Step 5: Train With Apps and Online Tools
There are many free or affordable apps to help train your ear:
TonedEar – custom interval training
Tenuto – practice intervals, chords, scales
EarMaster – full relative pitch program
Complete Ear Trainer – gamified, great interface
Musictheory.net – exercises and quizzes
SingTrue – uses voice recognition to train pitch
Set a goal to use an app for 5–10 minutes per day. It adds up quickly.
Step 6: Learn to Hear Chord Qualities
Once you’re comfortable with intervals, start identifying chord types by ear.
Major vs. minor
Major 7 vs. dominant 7
Suspended chords
Diminished chords
Start with just major and minor:
Play a chord. Does it sound happy or sad?
Try identifying them from real songs
Check your answers on the instrument
Understanding chords adds depth to your relative pitch abilities.
Step 7: Transcribe Simple Melodies by Ear
Transcription is one of the best relative pitch workouts.
Choose a simple song — nursery rhyme, folk melody, or pop chorus
Listen to the first 3–5 notes
Try to play or sing them back
Write down the interval pattern (e.g., up a 2nd, down a 3rd)
Even just one phrase per day improves your ear dramatically.
Step 8: Practice Call-and-Response
Have a friend, teacher, or app play a note pattern. Then you try to repeat it by ear.
Start simple:
Play C – E – G
You repeat the same on your instrument or voice
Gradually increase difficulty as you improve.
This builds both memory and reaction time.
Step 9: Use Songs You Love
Train your ear with music you already know.
Pick a favorite song
Figure out the first few notes of the melody by ear
Guess the chord progression
Check online charts to compare
This keeps training fun and practical.
Step 10: Be Consistent, Not Perfect
You don’t need to master every interval overnight. Ear training is like learning a language — it takes time.
Focus on:
Daily small sessions (5–10 minutes)
Repetition over perfection
Mixing listening, singing, and playing
Tracking your progress
Stay patient. The results sneak up on you — one day, you’ll suddenly recognize a melody or chord by ear without thinking.
Bonus: Use Your Voice Daily
Even if you don’t sing songs, use your voice to:
Match pitch
Sing intervals
Imitate instruments
Vocalize scales (Do–Re–Mi)
It builds your inner hearing faster than any other method.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Trying to memorize intervals without listening
Only using visual tools (tabs, sheet music)
Skipping daily practice
Not checking answers on your instrument
Being afraid to guess
Assuming you need perfect pitch
Relative pitch is built through trial and error — mistakes help you learn.
Final Thoughts: Your Ears Are an Instrument
Your ears are just as important as your fingers, your voice, or your instrument. Training them helps every part of your musical life — whether you’re jamming, composing, singing, or just listening with more depth.
You don’t need to be gifted. You just need to listen, sing, play, and stay consistent.
Start small. Keep going. And trust that your ears will get sharper every day.