Ear training exercises

Frequency matching ear training

A pure sine tone plays as a reference, then you move a fader until your tone matches it. With no instrument color to lean on, this is the purest test of how well you know the frequency spectrum.

What you'll train

How the levels work

At level 1 the reference sits between 250 Hz and 5 kHz, with a generous margin. Each level widens the range toward 50 Hz and 16 kHz and narrows the margin, so at the top you need to land within a small fraction of an octave.

Questions

Why train with pure tones instead of music?

A sine wave has a single frequency and no harmonics, so you're judging pitch height and spectral position alone. It sharpens the same map of the spectrum you use for EQ, without any other cues.

Is this the same as perfect pitch?

No. You're not naming notes, you're placing a sound on the frequency spectrum by comparing it with a reference. It's a skill anyone can build with practice.

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