Note recognition ear training, starting with three notes
In this exercise a note plays on the piano and you say which one it is, with no reference note. You start with just three (C, G and E) and the app adds another once you recognize those almost every time. It's useful if you write or produce music, or want to know what note a sound is.
How it works
- First you listen to your notes, each in three octaves, to notice their "color" rather than how high they sound.
- A note plays and you tap the one you think it is on the on-screen keyboard.
- If you miss, you hear the right note and the one you chose, back to back, so you notice the difference.
- When you get 90% right on 20 in a row, a new note is added.
Notes are named with letters (C, D, E…), as in music production software.
The exercise options
- Random octaves: each note plays in a different octave, so you learn the note and not its height.
- Erase the previous note: a few fast random notes play before each question, so you can't work it out from the last one.
- A reference C4: easier, but then you're working it out by comparing, which is relative pitch.
Below the keyboard you see your accuracy for each note and the two you mix up most, so you can review them together.
Absolute pitch and relative pitch
Relative pitch recognizes the distance between notes. It's what singing relies on most, and you train it with intervals and scale degrees. Absolute pitch names a single note without comparing it to anything.
Full absolute pitch almost always forms in childhood, but there are studies of adults who, after weeks of daily practice, learn to recognize several notes with good accuracy. This exercise follows that idea: few notes, many short repetitions, and a new note only when the earlier ones are secure. Don't expect results in a day.
Frequently asked questions
Can an adult learn perfect pitch?
An adult can get much better at naming notes with daily practice, though slowly, and usually without reaching the absolute pitch of someone who has had it since childhood.
How long should I practice?
A few minutes a day works better than one long session a week.
Do I need a microphone?
No. Here you answer by tapping the on-screen keyboard; the microphone is used in the singing exercises.
Is it free?
Yes, and you don't need an account. The free version includes some practice time every day; if you want unlimited practice you can upgrade to c4nta Pro.
More c4nta exercises
- Daily singing practice — a guided 15-minute session that tells you what to practice each day.
- Vocal warm-up — a guided routine to warm up your voice before singing or recording.
- Vocal pitch monitor — see the note you sing in real time and whether you are sharp or flat.
- Pitch matching exercises — hear a note, sing it and hold it inside the target band.
- Interval ear training — hear two notes and sing them, from a minor second to an octave.
- Scale degree ear training — hear a note in a key and guess which scale degree it is.
- Melodic dictation — hear a short melody and play it back note by note.
- Karaoke pitch trainer — sing a melody with a piano guide and get a pitch accuracy score.
- Vocal range test — measure your lowest and highest notes and track how your range changes.
- Long tones — hold a steady note to train breath control and phrase endings.