About this exercise
Interval Recognition
Every melody is a sequence of intervals, and a singer who can hear them by name learns songs faster, harmonises more easily, and lands leaps in tune, because the ear already knows how far the next note is before the voice has to find it. Interval recognition is pure ear training: two notes are played and you name the distance, a third, a fifth, an octave. The reference songs most people learn it with are useful, but the goal is to hear the interval itself, without the crutch. This exercise plays pairs of notes and asks you to name each one, with the answer explained after every round. It needs no microphone. The intervals you miss most are the ones your singing will miss most, which is exactly what a plan should drill first.
How to do it
- Two notes will play. Name the gap between them.
- Pick the interval you hear. You'll see the answer after each one.
- Higher belts add more intervals, falling pairs and shorter notes.
Knowing the distance between notes helps you learn and remember melodies.
What the app listens for
nothing: it checks the interval you tap.
What comes next
Revisit the intervals that surprised you. Listening practice and comfortable sung leaps can help you connect the sound of a distance with singing it.
If singing hurts, stop. Pain, hoarseness, extra effort, lost range or constant throat clearing for more than a day? See an ENT or laryngologist, or a speech therapist who works with singers. Don’t practice harder.
What is a musical interval?
The distance between two pitches. Measured in half steps (semitones). A half step is one fret or one piano key. Common intervals: minor 3rd (3), major 3rd (4), perfect 4th (5), perfect 5th (7), octave (12).
What are scale degrees?
Numbers 1-7 assigned to each note of a scale. 1 = root (home), 3 = the note that determines major/minor, 5 = the power note, 7 = the leading tone that wants to resolve to 1. Singers use these to understand melody structure.
What are chord tones vs passing tones?
Chord tones are the notes that make up a chord (root, 3rd, 5th). Passing tones are notes between chord tones that create melodic movement. Landing on chord tones sounds stable; passing tones create tension and release.