A Healthy Reality Check for Figuring Out Chords by Ear (Harmonic Ear Training)
To figure out chords by ear, first find the key and scale, list the chords that belong to it, sing the bass note of each chord within the real song, judge its quality by its emotion, and use theory and familiar two-chord cadences to narrow your trial and error.
Key points
- Find the scale and key first, then list the chords that belong to it.
- Sing the bass note of each chord in the real song, not just the top note.
- Hear chords in pairs and learn common cadences like V–I, IV–I and bVI–bVII–I.
- Use theory to narrow choices before trial and error.
- Write songs down, sing what you hear and practise on music that matches your level.
What this lesson covers
In this talk, Jason Zac of Nathaniel School of Music answers the question he has heard most often in nearly two decades of teaching: how do you figure out the chords of a song by ear? It is for any musician, beginner or experienced, who wants an honest view of harmonic ear training. Ear training is a workout for the brain. You build it step by step, so check whether the song you are attempting matches your current level.
Why music theory is your ear's best friend
Almost anyone can hear a chord. The real challenge is hearing it fast, because chords go by in a fraction of a second. Theory helps you group sounds into packets of information, the way you learn sentences rather than single words in a language.
Step 1: Find the scale and the key
Do not jump to chords before you know the scale. The scale might be major, minor, harmonic minor or a mode such as Dorian, and it can change between sections. The key is the tonal centre of the song.
Step 2: Know the available chords
Think of these as a carpenter's essential tools. In A major you have the major chords A (I), D (IV) and E (V), the minor chords Bm (ii), C#m (iii) and F#m (vi), and the rarer G#dim (vii). With seventh chords in Eb major, for example, you get Ebmaj7, Fm7, Gm7, Abmaj7, Bb7, Cm7 and Dm7b5. Knowing the modes of each degree, and where the key sits on the Circle of Fifths, helps too.
Step 3: Hear chords in pairs
Do not just ask what one chord is. Ask how two chords relate and how the movement feels. Build a vocabulary of common movements:
- V to I, the authentic cadence.
- IV to I, the plagal or amen cadence at the end of hymns, and its minor version where a minor iv resolves to the tonic.
- bVI to bVII to I, which Jason calls the epic cadence, and its recent pop variant that lands on a minor i.
- The Andalusian cadence, blues forms such as the quick change (I to IV and back to I), and chromatic sliding chords in rock and roll.
Give chords your own nicknames if it helps you remember them, such as calling a major chord with a flat fifth the Simpsons chord, or E7#9 the Hendrix chord.
Detecting a chord step by step
- Sing the bass note in the context of the real song. Your ear will be pulled towards the top note first, so listen deliberately for the lowest sound.
- Feel the quality. Is it happy, sad, dreamy, mysterious, tense or chaotic? This tells you whether it is major, minor, augmented or diminished.
- Use the melody. A long melody note narrows the options. In Hey Jude, which is in F, a long A can be harmonised by F major chords that contain A, such as F or D minor. Try each and compare with the recording.
- Trial and error after theory. If a chord sounds major in Bb major, it must be Bb, Eb or F. If it sounds unstable it is not the tonic Bb, and if it pulls home it is likely the dominant F.
- Listen for beating. Hold a chord, close your eyes and notice the flutter between notes. Slow beating suggests notes at peace; fast beating suggests tension. Moving your head slightly can help you hear notes one by one.
Also notice when each chord arrives, which beat and how many chords fall in a bar.
How to practise
- Be honest about what you know. If you only know major and minor chords, practise on songs that use only those, such as folk, country or children's songs, and work through many of them before moving to seventh chords and non-diatonic harmony.
- Learn every chord you hear on your instrument, in all inversions and keys.
- Write every song down in a notebook and mark the doubt areas, then ask other musicians specific questions.
- Always sing what you hear rather than guessing.
- Do not trust internet chords or songbooks blindly. Use ear-training apps only to check progress, and prefer real songs.
- Listen to high-information music across many genres.
Questions about this lesson
What is the first step to figuring out chords by ear?
Find the scale and key of the song before trying to name chords. Once you know the key, you can list the chords that naturally belong to it and work only with those.
Why do I keep hearing the top note instead of the root?
The highest frequency tends to reach your attention first, so your ear is drawn to the top note. Listen deliberately for the lowest sound and sing it to find the bass of the chord.
Are ear-training apps a good way to learn chords by ear?
They are better for checking whether your ear is improving than for learning from scratch. Apps often play exposed chords with no bass or musical context, so practising on real songs is more useful.
How does music theory help me hear chords faster?
Theory groups chords into familiar packets, such as the diatonic chords of a key and common two-chord cadences. That cuts the possible answers down, so trial and error becomes quick.
Practise it
- Cadence LibraryCompare piano cadences across keys and listen to how different chord movements create closure, suspense or a turn in a new direction.
- Circle of FifthsExplore the Circle of Fifths through keys, scales, chords and intervals.
- All free music apps40 practice tools for harmony, rhythm, ear training and more.
Related lessons
- 10 Types of Cadences Explained: Theory, Ear Training and PianoA cadence is a short chord progression of two to four chords, such as V–I (authentic), IV–I (plagal), V–vi (deceptive) or i–bVII–bVI–V (Andalusian), used to end, extend or redirect a musical phrase.
- How to Figure Out Any Song's Chords by Ear: 5 Ear Training StrategiesTo figure out a song's chords by ear, first mark where the chords change and find the song's scale, then narrow down each chord using the bass note, cadences, the melody's landing notes, the chord's quality, and its sense of tension or rest.
- How to Sing and Play Intervals (Theory and Ear Training on Piano)To practise intervals in three dimensions, play a root note on the piano, sing the target interval first, then play it to check your answer, working from stable resolutions to anticipations and finally tensions.
- How to Practice Piano Chords the Right Way (Theory, Technique and Ear)Pick one note, find every chord that contains it, and play each chord in an inversion that keeps that note on top with your right-hand pinky, the chord's root in the left hand, while you sing the top note and then the bass. This trains your theory, technique and ear together.