1Purpose
Hearing the distance between two notes and being able to name it. This has nothing to do with absolute pitch — it builds relative pitch, the perceptual skill of identifying notes in relation to a reference.
Where it connects in real playing
- Ear-copying: hear melody motion as "up a 3rd, down a 5th"
- Improvisation: calculate the distance to your target note and translate it to your fingers
- Vocal harmony: instantly pitch a 3rd or 6th above/below the lead
- Transposition: relationships don't change with key — relative pitch lets you adapt instantly
2Pre-Start Check
Diving into Intermediate without checking your starting point causes compounding confusion. Run the 60-second diagnostic below to pick the right entry tier.
3Week 1 Starter Preset
For your first week, use one of these presets as-is — no setting decisions needed. Pick by your self-check result.
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Playback Mode
- Ascending
- Root Note Mode
- Fixed
- Root Note Pitch
- C4
- Training Mode
- Standard
- Playback Speed
- Slow
- Answer Flow
- Manual
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Playback Mode
- Ascending
- Root Note Mode
- Moving
- Root Note Pitch
- C4
- Training Mode
- Standard
- Playback Speed
- Standard
- Answer Flow
- Auto
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Playback Mode
- Ascending
- Root Note Mode
- Moving
- Root Note Pitch
- C4
- Training Mode
- Standard
- Playback Speed
- Standard
- Answer Flow
- Auto
4Practice Protocol
Ear training rewards frequency over duration. Short, focused, frequent — with intentional rest days. That's the shortest path to retention.
Example weekly cycle
light
weak
review
- After 3 hard days in a row, force a light day (or rest). The brain needs time to consolidate — especially during sleep.
- Friday = weak-point session: Weak Point Focus + Manual + Slow. The weekend after consolidates it.
- 5-min light review 30 min before sleep strengthens overnight consolidation (but a hard 25-min session at bedtime backfires).
5Mastery Criteria & Expected Effects
Don't promote yourself by feel. Move up only when all three metrics below are met. With explicit criteria, you can tell apart "not ready yet" from "just impatient."
| Level | Accuracy | Response time | Stability | Timeframe |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beginner clear | ≥ 90% | ≤ 5s | 3 sessions in a row | 2-3 wk |
| Intermediate clear | ≥ 90% | ≤ 4s | 3 in a row + multiple roots | 3-5 wk |
| Advanced clear | ≥ 85% | ≤ 3s | 5 in a row + asc & desc | 2-3 mo |
Transfer criteria — "ready to apply in real songs"
- Ear-copying transfer: Advanced + Random + Moving at 80%+ → start transcribing simple vocal melodies
- Vocal harmony transfer: Custom (3rds + 6ths) Harmonic at 85%+ → harmonize the chorus of a familiar song
- Improv transfer: Advanced + Harmonic + Moving at 75%+ → try improvising over a simple backing track
6TIPS — Read When Stuck
7Full Settings Reference
The Week 1 preset is enough to start. Use the sections below as a reference when you want to know what a specific setting does. Click to expand.
Difficulty — Difficulty (question pool)
Playback Mode — Playback
Root Note Mode — Fixed vs Moving root
Root Note Pitch — Reference pitch
Choose C4 / E4 / A4. Pick what's close to your voice or instrument range so you can sing-check. Default: C4. Low voices / bass: C4. High voices / vocal: try A4.
Training Mode — Training mode
Normal random / Spaced Repetition reintroduces missed items at intervals / Weak Point Focus only items below 70% / Custom hand-picked.
Daily: Normal. Once or twice a week: a separate Weak Point Focus session.
Playback Speed / Answer Flow — Speed & auto-advance
Speed: Slow (new material) → Normal (consolidation) → Fast (real-world simulation).
Answer Flow: Auto by default (fluency). Manual only when paired with Weak Point Focus.
Start Interval Recognition
Configure your Week 1 preset and run your first session today.