Lesson series

Learn Songs By Ear

Ear Training shows you how to play songs by ear and know what scales to use for your guitar solos

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Online guitar course · Ear training

Learn Songs By Ear

Train your ear to hear intervals, chords and melodies

Learn Songs By Ear is an online ear training course for guitar, taught by Steve Stine. It starts with relative pitch, pitch matching, rhythm and every interval from the 2nd to the 7th. Then you learn to hear chords, chord progressions and song structures, and the sound of each mode. By the end you can recognize simple melodies such as Happy Birthday and Amazing Grace and work out chords and single-note lines by ear. The course has 39 video lessons in four modules with a 64-page PDF book, and is included in GuitarZoom Premium.

39video lessons

3+ hoursof step-by-step teaching

4 modulesin a clear order

Beginner to intermediatelevel

64-page PDF bookincluded

In Premiumwith 15 more core courses

Excellent · 4.8 out of 5 on TrustpilotRead our reviews

START FREE 14-DAY TRIAL BUY THIS COURSE · $77

Included in GuitarZoom Premium · course 12 of 16 in the path (Stage 3: Know the Fretboard and the Music)

Free preview

What Learn Songs By Ear is about

Steve breaks every skill into simple steps you can follow. In these videos, he introduces the course, explains perfect vs. relative pitch, and shows how to hear song structures.

Course intro: Introduction · 1:30

Free preview lesson: Perfect Pitch vs. Relative Pitch · 2:58

Free preview lesson: Understanding and Hearing Song Structures · 7:59

Who it's for

Is Learn Songs By Ear right for you?

Players who rely on tabs. You'll start working out parts by listening instead.
Guitarists who know some theory. The course links intervals, chords and modes to how they sound.
Anyone who thinks they have a bad ear. The course explains relative pitch and builds it from simple pitch matching.

What you'll be able to do

Skills you'll walk away with

Match pitches on the guitar
Hear pulse and rhythm
Recognize intervals from minor 2nd to major 7th
Hear major and minor chords and chord progressions
Hear intervals and chords in the major scale
Recognize the sound of the Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian, Phrygian and Dorian modes
Hear song structures
Pick out simple melodies and chords by ear

What's inside

The course, module by module

Every module and every lesson, in the order you learn them.

Module 1

Ear training basics and first intervals

Perfect vs relative pitch, basic concepts (pitch, interval, harmony, rhythm), practice tips, staff notation, pitch matching, pulse and rhythm, and the minor and major 2nd and 3rd.

18 lessons · 60 min

See all 18 lessons

Introduction 1:30
Purpose of This Course 1:16
What This Course Is Not 1:00
Perfect Pitch vs. Relative Pitch 2:58
Basic Concepts: Pitch 0:26
Interval 0:39
Harmony 0:53
Hearing Harmonic Progressions 0:31
Rhythm 0:28
Applying Concepts To The Fretboard 0:37
Practice Tips 1:28
Understanding Staff Notation 4:55
Pitch Matching 13:38
Hearing Pulse and Rhythm 8:11
Hearing Intervals 8:11
Recognizing Minor and Major 2nd 4:57
Minor and Major 2nd Backwards 2:14
Minor and Major 3rd 6:22

Module 2

Intervals, chords and progressions

The perfect 4th, diminished 5th and perfect 5th, minor and major 6ths and 7ths, hearing chords and hearing chord progressions.

5 lessons · 46 min

See all 5 lessons

Perfect 4th, Diminished 5th, Perfect 5th 4:29
Minor and Major 6th 4:50
Minor and Major 7th 3:49
Hearing Chords 14:41
Hearing Chord Progressions 18:28

Module 3

Major scale, modes and song structure

Intervals and chords in the major scale, the sound of the Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian, Phrygian and Dorian modes and the harmonic minor scale, and hearing song structures.

9 lessons · 53 min

See all 9 lessons

Intervals and Chords in the Major Scale 20:46
The Lydian Mode 4:02
The Mixolydian Mode 1:18
The Natural Minor Scale/Aeolian Mode 1:44
The Harmonic Minor Scale 0:27
The Phrygian Mode 0:52
The Dorian Mode 0:35
Understanding and Hearing Song Structures 7:59
Song Structure: In-Depth Analysis 15:00

Module 4

Melodies and chordal ear training

Hearing single-note structures, recognizing the melodies of Happy Birthday and Amazing Grace, chordal ear training, power chords and single-note melodic ideas.

7 lessons · 27 min

See all 7 lessons

Understanding and Hearing Single Note Structures 7:24
Recognizing Melodies: Happy Birthday 1:54
Recognizing Melodies: Amazing Grace 1:22
Chordal Ear Training 8:50
Power Chords 2:34
Single Note Melodic Ideas 2:37
Conclusion 2:31

START FREE 14-DAY TRIAL BUY THIS COURSE · $77

How it works

Learn at your own pace

Clear video lessons

Every move is shown up close. Pause, rewind and repeat each lesson as often as you need.

Practice materials

Includes 64-page PDF book. Use them to practice what you learn in each lesson.

Part of a clear path

This is course 12 of 16 in the Premium path, so you always know what to learn next.

Your instructor

Steve Stine

GuitarZoom Master Instructor

Steve has taught guitar for more than 30 years and has helped millions of players in over 100 countries. He has a Music Education degree from Minnesota State University Moorhead and taught guitar at North Dakota State University. He's known for breaking hard things into simple steps you can follow. Read Steve's full story

Student reviews

What students say about Steve's teaching

Excellent · 4.8 out of 5 on TrustpilotRead our reviews

"The lessons are easy to learn. You'll progress quite well. Do it."
David P.United States

"You're gonna be surprised. You're gonna learn a lot very quickly."
Timothy C.Canada

"I think the really positive thing about GuitarZoom is the structure of the lessons."
David C.United States

"Steve does it in a nice, concise way, not too fast, not too slow."
David T.United States

"The content and the video quality are both extremely awesome."
Daryll O.India

"I find that I'm playing faster and with great confidence."
Paul C.Canada

Read 100+ more student reviews

FAQ

Learn Songs By Ear questions

Can I learn to play by ear if I don't have perfect pitch?

Yes. The course explains perfect pitch vs relative pitch and focuses on relative pitch, which you can build with practice.

Do I need to read music?

No. There's a short lesson on staff notation, but the ear training is done on the guitar.

Which intervals will I learn to hear?

All of them from the minor 2nd to the major 7th, including the perfect 4th, diminished 5th and perfect 5th.

Will I learn to hear chord progressions?

Yes. Module 2 covers hearing chords and hearing chord progressions, and Module 3 covers chords in the major scale.

How long is the course?

There are 39 video lessons, about 3 hours and 6 minutes in total. Many of the early concept lessons are under a minute.

How do I get Learn Songs By Ear?

Learn Songs By Ear is one of the 16 core courses in GuitarZoom Premium. Premium costs $39 a month or $299 a year and starts with a 14-day free trial. You can also buy Learn Songs By Ear on its own for a one-time $77.

What else is included in GuitarZoom Premium?

Premium gives you Steve Stine's 16 core courses in a clear, step-by-step path, from your first chords to improvising your own solos, plus a Jam Tracks library. You get every course from day one.

Can I cancel GuitarZoom Premium?

Yes. You can cancel any time. If you cancel before your 14-day trial ends, you won't be charged.

Can I watch on my phone or tablet?

Yes. You can watch on any computer, tablet or phone with an internet connection, as often as you like.

Next in the Premium path