How can you improve your ear training and music theory skills?

1 Start with the basics

Before you dive into more complex concepts and challenges, make sure you have a solid foundation of the basic elements of music theory and ear training. You can use online resources, books, apps, or courses to learn or review the musical alphabet, the staff, the clefs, the notes, the accidentals, the key signatures, the time signatures, and the basic rhythmic values. You can also practice identifying and singing the intervals of the major and minor scales, as well as the triads and seventh chords. These are the building blocks of most melodies and harmonies, so mastering them will make your ear more sensitive and accurate.

2 Sing everything you hear and see

One of the best ways to improve your ear training and music theory skills is to sing everything you hear and see. This means that you should try to sing along with any music you listen to, whether it is on the radio, on your playlist, or in a live performance. Try to match the pitch, the rhythm, the dynamics, and the expression of the singers or the instruments. You can also challenge yourself to sing the harmony parts, or to improvise your own. Singing along with music will help you to develop your musical memory, your vocal range, your intonation, and your musical style. Similarly, you should also try to sing any music you see written on paper or on a screen. This will help you to develop your sight-singing skills, which are very useful for learning new songs, auditioning, or performing with a choir or a band.

3 Use solfège and movable do

Solfège is a system of syllables that represent the degrees of a scale. For example, in the major scale, the syllables are do-re-mi-fa-sol-la-ti-do. Solfège helps you to associate each note with a specific sound and function within the scale, making it easier to recognize and produce intervals and chords. You can use solfège to practice singing scales, melodies, and harmonies in different keys and modes. You can also use movable do, which means that you assign the syllable do to the tonic or the first note of any scale, regardless of its actual pitch. For example, if you sing a C major scale, you would start with do on C, but if you sing a G major scale, you would start with do on G. Movable do helps you to adapt to different tonalities and to understand the relationships between notes.

4 Play an instrument or use a keyboard

Another way to improve your ear training and music theory skills is to play an instrument or use a keyboard. Playing an instrument or using a keyboard will help you to visualize and reinforce the concepts and patterns of music theory and ear training. You can use an instrument or a keyboard to play scales, chords, melodies, and harmonies, and to check your accuracy and tuning. You can also use an instrument or a keyboard to accompany yourself or others while singing, which will improve your coordination, timing, and musicality. You don't need to be an expert or have a lot of equipment to benefit from playing an instrument or using a keyboard. You can start with a simple instrument like a ukulele, a guitar, or a piano, or use an app or a website that simulates a keyboard.

5 Train your ear with exercises and games

Finally, you can improve your ear training and music theory skills by doing exercises and games that challenge and test your abilities. You can find many online tools, apps, and websites that offer ear training and music theory exercises and games for different levels and topics. For example, you can practice identifying intervals, chords, scales, modes, rhythms, melodies, and harmonies by listening to audio clips and choosing the correct answer. You can also practice dictating or transcribing music by writing down what you hear on paper or on a software. You can also practice composing or improvising music by using random or given elements. Doing exercises and games will help you to measure your progress, to identify your strengths and weaknesses, and to have fun while learning.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?